Sip Wine and Mingle With Ghosts At Webster's Wine Bar, A Famous Haunted Bar In Illinois
By Benjamin Clancy|Published October 18, 2020
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Benjamin Clancy
Author
Benjamin Clancy is the Illinois and Indiana writer at Only In Your State, a doctoral candidate at UNC Chapel Hill in Communication, and an artistic type who has attended the Vermont Studio Center residency in poetry writing and makes something like music as "little other." They grew up in Austin, Texas and currently live in Chicago, IL with their partner, two dogs, and a cat. Get in touch by emailing bclancy@onlyinyourstate.com.
A night out at a wine bar is a classic way to raise a person’s spirits. At Webster’s Wine Bar in Chicago, that’s true both literally and figuratively. Do you like your wine to have notes of haunted? Looking for more boos in your booze and ghosts with your toasts? Webster’s is equal parts creepy and classy, and the rare haunted bar that gives you ghosts without gimmicks. The next time you’re looking to put a thrilling twist on a classy occasion, or simply enjoy some very good wine, Webster’s Wine Bar is the way to g(h)o(st).
Though Webster's Wine Bar is a famously haunted Chicago establishment, the wine comes first here. On the bar's official website, you will find no mention of the spirits that have purportedly haunted the place since its establishment in 1993. This doesn't make Webster's any less haunted or diminish its eerie ambiance. It does mean that Webster's never feels kitschy and is a great place to go out any time of the year. It also means they take their wine very seriously. You'll notice with the first sip.
The spirit haunting Webster's Wine Bar is said to belong that of a lumberjack who died in the bar decades ago, back when the building was a boudoir. Staff claim the second floor is especially cursed; some have sighted the lumberjack pacing the rooms late at night. Of course, like at any good bar, the most lively spirits here are the locals.
If Webster's doesn't brag about its resident lumberjack spirit, it also doesn't boast enough about its spirit offerings. While Webster's is primarily a wine bar (and a very good one, at that), it also has a wide selection of beer and liquor to choose from.
...but the stairs to the second floor still loom ominously in the background. You'll find yourself listening for the creak of footsteps upstairs while you sip your chardonnay.
After you work up an appetite wining and dining among the dead, the obvious next move is to eat this to-die-for charcuterie spread. All of the food at Webster's is so good you might wonder what terrible trade the chef had to make in exchange for their talents.
If your first time at Webster's is primarily for the spooks, you'll come back for the killer outdoor season. Always a great feature for a restaurant, this comes in handy now to provide safe outdoor wine and dining. It will also provide a perfect place to hide from lumberjack ghosts for years to come.
So, the next time you want to sip with spirits, add an element of the supernatural to your soiree, or just enjoy a great glass of wine, head over to Webster’s Wine Bar, head on over to Webster’s Wine Bar. Don’t feel bad about rushing — there’s a ghost there who will do the lumbering for you.
What’s your favorite haunt to have a cocktail or weird place to wine? We love to hear your stories and see your pictures. Get in touch!
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