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Mixology Era Ends as Chicago's The Violet Hour Closes Its Doors
- Bob Benenson
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
Problems with Its Building Shutter the Wicker Park Cocktail Game-Changer
When the news broke late last week of the closure of The Violet Hour, a number of commenters on social media aptly described it as the end of an era.
When the One Off Hospitality Group opened The Violet Hour in 2007, most restaurants and bars served a menu of familiar cocktails. Few people spoke of "mixology" before The Violet Hour turned heads with culinary-tinged creations and fanciful ingredient combinations.
Along with One Off's Big Star and Dove's Luncheonette across Damen Avenue, The Violet Hour played a big role in the rebirth of the Wicker Park neighborhood, which had experienced a long period of decline. Curious cocktail connoisseurs — and quite a few local and national journalists — found their way to The Violet Hour (not the easiest thing as, in speakeasy style, the upscale bar had no identifying signage, only an ever-changing mural on its exterior).
While the place had remained popular, it was located in an older building, and its demise was the result of urgently needed repairs. One Off Hospitality's executives, in their announcement of the closure copied below, said they made an unsuccessful attempt to reach agreement with the landlord about how to address the situation.
Having helped light a spark that changed the cocktail world, The Violet Hour will be missed... but maybe not for long? The owners hint at a possible second life for the brand.
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After 18 incredible years behind our discreet, unmarked doors in Wicker Park, it is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the velvet curtains at The Violet Hour have closed for the final time.
Between our partners at One Off Hospitality, we’ve spent nearly a quarter of a century in this building, 18 of those years as The Violet Hour. Several weeks ago, we closed temporarily due to unexpected damage to the building. Despite extensive efforts and negotiations, we were regretfully unable to reach a resolution with our landlord.
When we opened in 2007, Chicago’s cocktail landscape was a vastly different place. What began as a gamble — a hidden, candlelit space devoted to serious cocktails — helped shape what has become one of the most dynamic drinking cities in the world.
Over the years, The Violet Hour became known not only for signature drinks like the Juliet & Romeo, Paper Plane, and The Art of Choke but also for the community it nurtured: the bartenders, artists, friends, and guests who brought the space to life night after night. Names you might recognize include Michael Rubel, Kirk Estopinal, Eden Laurin, Robby Haynes, Kyle Davidson, Nandini Khaund, Stephen Cole, Ira Koplowitz, Mike Ryan, Abe Vucekovich, Susie Hoyt, Pat Ray, Brad Bolt, Dan Smith, and many more who went on to leave their mark on cocktail programs across the country.
The Violet Hour has remained an essential fixture in Wicker Park and a quiet icon on the national cocktail scene. From the artists who painted our ever-changing facade to the bartenders who opened their own award-winning bars, we’re proud of the role we played in sparking a cultural shift in how this city drinks and gathers.
This is not the end of The Violet Hour as a brand, and yet it is the end of this chapter. You may see us again somewhere down the line.
To every guest who ever found their way behind the curtains: thank you. You made this place what it was. We are forever grateful.
- Toby Maloney, Jason Cott, Donnie Madia, Peter Garfield, and Terry Alexander
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