Edith Cocktail Bar Plans Soft Opening

Site of Edith cocktail bar, 228 W. Wells. St. Photo courtesy of Rhondi Love.

Rhondi Love has always been interested in spirits — the alcoholic ones, that is. But after watching the 2015 horror movie, Crimson Peak, her imagination was captured by the film’s paranormal ones as well. So, she thought, why not combine the two?

Love took that spark of inspiration and turned it into a new business: Edith. The cocktail bar and lounge, 228 W. Wells St., in the Century Building, is preparing to welcome its first guests by the end of the month.

Before venturing into hospitality, Love spent eight years in public service, working first as a domestic violence advocate and later, a 911 dispatcher in Wauwatosa. At the time, her interest in the distilling process of spirits and the intricacies of cocktail engineering was more of a hobby, she said.

“I would travel to go to speakeasy bars and things like that,” said Love, who noted that one bar in particular, a treehouse-style lounge in Chattanooga, prompted her to take the leap and open her own establishment.

“The moment I came back, I just got right to business and started Edith,” she said.

Both the atmosphere of the lounge and its menu draw inspiration from Crimson Peak, whose main protagonist is named Edith. The dark and unsettling story takes place in an opulent Gothic mansion — complete with disfigured, blood-soaked apparitions.

Edith will embody that same spooky feel, minus the gore, with soft, lounge seating, dim lighting, chandeliers, candles, statues and tall windows hung with thick, velvet curtains. A dining table surrounded by velvet chairs is a unique addition to the intimate space.

A “beautifully decorated” table is meant to encourage fellowship between patrons, Love explained. “It’s like, ‘what? A dining table in a bar?’ she joked. “But I’ve visited so many to get inspiration, and one thing that I’ve found in a lot of speakeasies is that they were non-traditional in the seating that they had or how they were set up. And I wanted to bring that to Milwaukee.”

The small space seats only 30, and there’s no bar seating. That’s to ensure that each guest receives a personalized experience, Love said. “I really wanted to focus on the customer experience as it related to making the cocktails. You’ll see that our bar is beautifully decorated, and the bartenders have a nice amount of space to create their cocktails.”

After placing an order, guests will be able to approach the bar and watch the craftsmanship in action as their drink is prepared.

Among the bar’s 12 signature cocktails are Crimson and Edith — both named for the horror film — as well as Mother Mary, a gin-based drink with italicus, dry vermouth, limoncello and orange bitters; Burning Love, featuring rye whiskey, Cognac, génépi liqueur, absinthe and bitters; and Chapel, which incorporates tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters and atomized mezcal. The tequila-based 1920 and rum-based 1933 are a nod to the start and end of prohibition.

Love said that she put extra care into selecting high-quality ingredients for each cocktail. “I wanted to make sure that I was conscious of what I was putting into the cocktails, that all the ingredients really complemented the spirits, and that the cocktails were health conscious,” said Love, who gave a shoutout to Ira Koplowitz of Bittercube for his help in fine-tuning the menu.

“He’s been an awesome mentor.”

Several of Edith’s cocktails are available with non-alcoholic spirits. The lounge also offers a selection of red and white wines, sparkling wine and rose.

A full menu is available to view online.

Love said the bar will eventually be walk-in only, though a series of soft openings in late February and early March will require reservations to avoid turning guests away or leaving them waiting in the cold.

Keep en eye on the business’s Facebook and Instagram pages for opening date announcements and reservations.

Once open, Edith’s hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. until close. The business doesn’t have a dress code, per se, though the website requests that visitors “approach your wardrobe deliberately and with a sense of occasion.”

Photos