Martini Day In Chicago: Where To Get The Best, Shaken Or Stirred (PHOTOS)

On June 19, cocktail enthusiasts across the country celebrate a uniquely American drink: the martini.

National Martini Day celebrates the drink invented in the U.S. and popularized by pop culture icons throughout the decades (including a particular secret agent with a license to kill).

While the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco and the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York both have laid claims to popularizing the combo of clear spirits and vermouth, the classic drink has been served and re-invented across the country since the late 1800s.

For a two-ingredient concoction, martinis have long divided cocktail connoisseurs over the gin vs. vodka, shaken vs. stirred debates.

But as we all know, Chicago's edgy food-and-drink scene loves experiments and extremes, so expect to have to make more decisions than that when you place your order at one of these spots.

We rounded up some restaurants and bars known (and praised) for their martini-mixing skills. Did we miss one of your favorites hidden gems? Tell us in the comments.

Flickr photo by TechCocktail.