Jack Daniels General Store pops up in Chicago

The Jack Daniels General Store isn’t your average Michigan Avenue shop. They don’t have fancy dresses, $250 button-up shirts, or champagne wedding registry events. What they do have is unique experiences, special guests, and exclusive gifts. I wish more people celebrated their birthday by giving stuff away.

There’s never been a pop up shop quite like the Jack Daniels General Store. First of all, they brought the actual safe that allegedly killed Jack Daniel. Morbid? Yes. Awesome? Also yes. It is the month of Halloween after all.

The big differentiator, aside from the fact that the entire store is based on whiskey, is that there’s a different highlight each day. Every aspect is up and running all week, but the rotating focus makes it like six different pop up shops in one. The list and the list of events reads like an amazing adult summer camp:

• MONDAY -A TASTE OF LYNCHBURG
  Indulge in some authentic Southern cookin’. Enjoy a variety of treats from Miss Mary Bobo’s – a hometown Jack Daniel’s favorite – served up by a surprise local baker. People say all good cooking down South has a special ingredient – ours just happens to be Jack.

• TUESDAY – THE ART OF BARREL-MAKING
  Learn about the art of barrel-raising from a real Jack Daniel’s Barrel Man. And since our barrels are only used once for storing whiskey, we’ll be giving them a second life with barrel art demos by a local artist.

• WEDNESDAY – A LIVE MUSIC EXPERIENCE
  Dial up your lunch hour with a lunchtime concert at noon and listen to vinyl sets by our resident DJ. Or dress up and jam out in our music shop and take a rock n’ roll photo to prove it.

• THURSDAY – WHY WE LOVE CHARCOAL
  Take a seat at our sensory bar and discover the secret behind the process that gives Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey its distinct flavor. Today we’re celebrating charcoal mellowing with demonstrations and charcoal art by a local artist.

• FRIDAY – HOW TO CLEAN UP LIKE A GENTLEMAN
  Come by the General Store for a personal styling session with a local maker or get a Jack-inspired look by our guest barbers. Sharpen up before stepping out.

• SATURDAY – SAY CHEERS TO 150 YEARS
  Come celebrate our last day in Chicago before we pack up and head out, with an entire day filled with surprise musical guests, unexpected moments, tasty treats and exclusive giveaways in honor of the last 150 years.

The Jack Daniels General Store is only open for a week, so be sure to get over to 401 N. Michigan Ave. before it’s too late. The hours are Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 11am-7pm; Wed, Sat 11am-5pm. I know what I’m doing during my lunch breaks.

It’s open to the public (21+), and more importantly each day the first 150 guests will receive exclusive Jack Daniel’s swag in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.

You can find more details on their website if you’re into that sort of thing.