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Ward 8 -- Craft Cocktails on Howard Street, Evanston

Ward 8 -- Craft Cocktails on Howard Street, Evanston
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  • Post #31 - August 7th, 2018, 1:45 pm
    Post #31 - August 7th, 2018, 1:45 pm Post #31 - August 7th, 2018, 1:45 pm
    Ward 8 building and business for sale

    Big, big bummer :cry:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #32 - November 8th, 2018, 9:31 pm
    Post #32 - November 8th, 2018, 9:31 pm Post #32 - November 8th, 2018, 9:31 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Ward 8 building and business for sale

    Big, big bummer :cry:

    =R=

    Not sold. No longer for sale. :)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #33 - July 10th, 2019, 2:48 am
    Post #33 - July 10th, 2019, 2:48 am Post #33 - July 10th, 2019, 2:48 am
    Silly Gary, took me 6-years to get to Ward 8. Wonderful drinks, atmosphere, service, the bride and I liked everything about the place. Did not try the snacks, we were on our way to Peppercorns Kitchen, but the aroma of bacon at one point was captivating.

    WardEightP1.jpg Ward 8 Bartender Anders, dealers choice drink.

    Ward 8, count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #34 - July 11th, 2019, 1:42 pm
    Post #34 - July 11th, 2019, 1:42 pm Post #34 - July 11th, 2019, 1:42 pm
    Okay, I'm confused. I will admit that I have not followed what I had thought was the disappearance of Ward 8 closely. However, I was under the distinct impression that it was a done deal and was no longer in existence. Either Gary's on something (a possibility I cannot entirely discount :roll: ) or it still exists and is chugging along. Can someone enlighten me (and the rest of the lazy folks, if any)?
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #35 - July 11th, 2019, 2:15 pm
    Post #35 - July 11th, 2019, 2:15 pm Post #35 - July 11th, 2019, 2:15 pm
    Gypsy Boy wrote:Okay, I'm confused. I will admit that I have not followed what I had thought was the disappearance of Ward 8 closely. However, I was under the distinct impression that it was a done deal and was no longer in existence. Either Gary's on something (a possibility I cannot entirely discount :roll: ) or it still exists and is chugging along. Can someone enlighten me (and the rest of the lazy folks, if any)?

    It was never closed. It was for sale and then taken off the market. Cody still owns it. Same as it ever was . . . and then some! :)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #36 - July 11th, 2019, 4:02 pm
    Post #36 - July 11th, 2019, 4:02 pm Post #36 - July 11th, 2019, 4:02 pm
    The best news I've had in quite some time. Thank you. Hot diggity goddamn! I see some drinks in my future :lol:
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #37 - August 8th, 2019, 2:22 pm
    Post #37 - August 8th, 2019, 2:22 pm Post #37 - August 8th, 2019, 2:22 pm
    Gypsy Boy wrote:The best news I've had in quite some time. Thank you. Hot diggity goddamn! I see some drinks in my future :lol:

    Owing to the geography, I don't make it to Ward 8 nearly as often as I'd like. However, recent circumstances brought me there not once but twice in the past few weeks and both sessions reminded me of just how much I enjoy spending time at this bar.

    The more I follow the cocktail path, the more I find it isn't the cocktails that are the primary draw for me when deciding where to sidle up. That's not to say that Ward 8's cocktail program and back bar aren't exemplary. They are. Their offerings are well curated and drinks are made with exacting care, regardless of who's making them.

    But beyond that, it's the friendly, welcoming demeanor of Cody, Anders, Chef Pedro, Jason, etc. that make it such a special place. It's small but really comfortable and (at least when I go), it never feels cramped. I'm fortunate to live near a bar with a very similar vibe (The Whistler, which I patronize regularly) but spending time at Ward 8 makes me wish it were closer to my house. If I lived nearby, I'd be there once or twice a week.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #38 - April 4th, 2020, 5:29 pm
    Post #38 - April 4th, 2020, 5:29 pm Post #38 - April 4th, 2020, 5:29 pm
    Well, Anders seems to be in good spirits . . .


    Libertango for Flute & Bar Tools (AKA Quarantango) - Astor Piazzolla

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #39 - April 6th, 2020, 9:11 am
    Post #39 - April 6th, 2020, 9:11 am Post #39 - April 6th, 2020, 9:11 am
    We did curbside takeout from Ward 8 last night. Flatbread, potato empanadas, beef empanadas, two bottles of "Semester Abroad" and a bottle of sauvignon blanc. Delicious.

    Image
    -Mary
  • Post #40 - April 25th, 2020, 3:22 pm
    Post #40 - April 25th, 2020, 3:22 pm Post #40 - April 25th, 2020, 3:22 pm
    Sobering Facebook post from Ward Eight:

    Dear friends and family,

    The donations and outreach from all of you has been amazing and very helpful during this difficult time. We unfortunately had to make the decision to lay off all of our staff so that they may collect unemployment until this is all resolved. As we look ahead we are faced with many difficult decisions and uncertainty, but from our perspective it doesn’t look too bright.

    We are still unable to sell cocktails to-go.

    We are uncertain when it will be safe to reopen.

    We still have a mortgage, bills, licensing, insurance, etc…

    Even with the amazing support from people buying cocktails to-go we we’re still only running at about 25% of normal business. If we do reopen, we most likely will only be allowed to operate at half capacity, and being a 32 seat bar cuts us to 16 seats for the foreseeable future, with possibility of more mandated closures. That would make our business model unsustainable, as well as not allow us the ability to rehire our staff. We do not feel that it would be responsible to acquire more debt to continue to operate a business that won’t recover anytime soon. We have applied and explored all options and will continue to do so. We wish we had better news, but this is the reality of our situation at the moment. Thank you everyone, we will let you know if anything changes or if we hear back from Illinois Liquor Control.

    I'm sure there are many others in this same situation. The landscape of drinking and dining is going to look very different when we reopen.
    -Mary
  • Post #41 - April 25th, 2020, 3:37 pm
    Post #41 - April 25th, 2020, 3:37 pm Post #41 - April 25th, 2020, 3:37 pm
    The GP wrote:Sobering Facebook post from Ward Eight:

    Dear friends and family,

    The donations and outreach from all of you has been amazing and very helpful during this difficult time. We unfortunately had to make the decision to lay off all of our staff so that they may collect unemployment until this is all resolved. As we look ahead we are faced with many difficult decisions and uncertainty, but from our perspective it doesn’t look too bright.

    We are still unable to sell cocktails to-go.

    We are uncertain when it will be safe to reopen.

    We still have a mortgage, bills, licensing, insurance, etc…

    Even with the amazing support from people buying cocktails to-go we we’re still only running at about 25% of normal business. If we do reopen, we most likely will only be allowed to operate at half capacity, and being a 32 seat bar cuts us to 16 seats for the foreseeable future, with possibility of more mandated closures. That would make our business model unsustainable, as well as not allow us the ability to rehire our staff. We do not feel that it would be responsible to acquire more debt to continue to operate a business that won’t recover anytime soon. We have applied and explored all options and will continue to do so. We wish we had better news, but this is the reality of our situation at the moment. Thank you everyone, we will let you know if anything changes or if we hear back from Illinois Liquor Control.

    I'm sure there are many others in this same situation. The landscape of drinking and dining is going to look very different when we reopen.

    Fucking brutal. :cry:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #42 - August 7th, 2020, 11:22 am
    Post #42 - August 7th, 2020, 11:22 am Post #42 - August 7th, 2020, 11:22 am
    Ward Eight has been doing cocktails to go since the state relaxed the rules. Not only are they doing some great cocktails, they are packaged beautifully. Offerings change somewhat regularly so keep an eye on their website or Facebook (and probably Instagram).

    Image

    https://www.wardeight.com/
    -Mary
  • Post #43 - October 26th, 2020, 7:38 am
    Post #43 - October 26th, 2020, 7:38 am Post #43 - October 26th, 2020, 7:38 am
    I'm looking forward to a side by side tasting.

    Image
    -Mary
  • Post #44 - May 7th, 2021, 11:37 pm
    Post #44 - May 7th, 2021, 11:37 pm Post #44 - May 7th, 2021, 11:37 pm
    Informative, stunningly shot and deftly produced video on the Queens Park Swizzle from Anders Erickson & Co. . . .



    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #45 - May 8th, 2021, 12:22 pm
    Post #45 - May 8th, 2021, 12:22 pm Post #45 - May 8th, 2021, 12:22 pm
    I've been watching Anders' videos for the past year or so; he puts out a new one every Friday morning. Here's a full list of his videos.
  • Post #46 - May 8th, 2021, 1:38 pm
    Post #46 - May 8th, 2021, 1:38 pm Post #46 - May 8th, 2021, 1:38 pm
    nr706 wrote:I've been watching Anders' videos for the past year or so; he puts out a new one every Friday morning. Here's a full list of his videos.

    Yeah, thanks. Great channel. I finally remembered to subscribe. I love how the clock behind him is always at 5:00. :D

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #47 - September 25th, 2021, 9:59 am
    Post #47 - September 25th, 2021, 9:59 am Post #47 - September 25th, 2021, 9:59 am
    Just got back from a week in Wyoming on a ranch in Grand Teton National Park. Had mostly great food all week and got to talking with one of our servers. The executive sous chef at the ranch (a guy named Josh McKinley) was coming to Chicago (as was our server, to assist). Oh, we asked? Seems he's taking over at Ward 8. Our server said he'd mention to McKinley that there were guests who were "familiar" with Ward 8 but either the message never got conveyed or the sous was too busy to visit with us. All we got out of the server was that the sous would be changing the concept. (Since getting home, we looked McKinley up and it seems he was/is also at Blackbird and Found, fwiw.) Since it wasn't his baby, he couldn't provide any details. Still, talk about a small world....
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #48 - October 5th, 2021, 7:26 am
    Post #48 - October 5th, 2021, 7:26 am Post #48 - October 5th, 2021, 7:26 am
    Gypsy Boy wrote:Still, talk about a small world....
    love when stuff like this happens, small world indeed. Good to know
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

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