Love em' or hate em', the Cubbies are headed to the playoffs with the best record in baseball. The last time these Northsiders were World Series champs it was 1908, and a lot has happened since then—a man walked on the moon, the internet was invented, Kanye West, you get it. We decided to check out which bars Chicagoans were hitting up 108 years ago, so that you can too.
Schaller's Pump, Chicago's oldest continuously run tavern, first opened its doors in 1881. Located just blocks away from Comiskey (we refuse to accept the atrocity that is Guaranteed Rate Field), it has become a mecca for White Sox fans throughout the years. Of course, Cub fans are always welcome, but you can be sure to find an abundance of Southsiders there drinking to forget the fact that the Cubs might go all the way (and praying that they'll blow it), much like Sox fans of 1908.
Photo via Marge's Still's Facebook page
Marge's Still has been an Old Town staple since 1885. During Prohibition, gin was made in the bathtub of the second floor and sold to patrons in the cellar. Though bathtub gin is no longer on the drink menu, and much of the interior has been remodeled, the original wooden bar is still intact. Perfect for some sentimental baseball barstoolin'.
Chip Inn has been around since 1897, operating as a speakeasy during Prohibition. If you're looking for some cheap beer and a laid back environment (or if you're just trying to avoid crowded Wrigley bars like the plague) then this is the spot for you. Cash is the only form of accepted payment, so maybe you'll get that authentic 1908 feel that you're looking for.
Photo courtesy of The Berghoff
The Berghoff originally opened in 1898 as a men-only saloon, and patrons would receive a corned beef sandwich with the purchase of a Berghoff Beer as an added bonus. The bar remained open during Prohibition by selling soda-pop and near-beer, and it received Chicago’s first liquor license when Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Today it operates as a full serviced restaurant of German and American food. You can't beat the baseball, beer and brat combo...it just makes sense.
Shinnick’s Pub, located in the Bridgeport area, is another White Sox hotspot. You won’t find a trace of Cub paraphernalia in here, but everyone is welcome with open arms. Legend has it that the tavern was constructed in 1890 for the 1893 Columbian Expedition. Today the pub is owned by the third generation of, you guessed it, Shinnicks. Sláinte!
Photo via Flickr.com/cooperweb
The Green Mill, opened in 1907, is easily the most notorious bar on the list. It's been featured in classics like The Untouchables, High Fidelity and Ocean's Twelve. As a hotspot for mobsters and Al Capone's favorite joint, the bar ran openly during Prohibition with cops on its payroll. According to legend, every time Capone walked in, the band stopped what they were playing to play his favorite song, "Rhapsody in Blue". Supposedly a big time Cub fan, we bet he'd be requesting a lot of "Go! Cubs! Go!" if he were still around today.
