Ellington

If you suddenly find yourself overtaken by a creepy feeling while drinking at George Street Grocery, it may be more than the alcohol affecting you. It might be the establishment's resident ghost, the Bitter Hooker.

During the Roaring '20s, George Street Grocery was also an active brothel. The upstairs section of the bar contained several bedrooms, each with its own fireplace, where the city's finest prostitutes plied their trade. The legend, passed along by the George Street Grocery fixture known only as "Mr. Billy," is that some low-life creep jumped out the window after a special rendezvous with one of the brothel's erotic specialists. He did not pay for services rendered, leaving the prostitute permanently embittered. (It's just a hop, skip and a jump from bitterness to supernatural rage.) This bitter hooker was so disgruntled that she refused to walk into the light. Now, she haunts George Street Grocery in search of her money.

To this day, the Bitter Hooker still roams, primarily late at night after closing. Matt Newman, a manager at George Street, described several harrowing encounters he's had with the Bitter Hooker since the bar's reopening four months ago.

On one occasion, while cleaning upstairs, he heard loud banging downstairs. When Newman went downstairs to investigate the noise, several chairs previously up on tables were on the floor. How could such a thing happen? On other occasions, lights that had been turned off mysteriously turned back on. Only a bitter hooker from beyond the grave could wreak such havoc. Also, these unexplained events strike only the male staff members, seeming proof of the wraith's grudge against men.

In an attempt to appease the specter, George Street has created the Bitter Hooker mixed drink. Watching the bartender make the drink is a supernatural experience in itself—it contains rum, vodka, triple sec, gin, Sprite, Black Horse Energy Drink and Watermelon Pucker. The concoction takes an arcane turn when the bartender pours in a shot of Miller Lite. This light, extremely sweet drink evokes the taste of a watermelon Jolly Rancher. You can order the drink by the glass for $7 or in a commemorative bucket for $20 that retells the Bitter Hooker story. Don't be fooled by the drink's innocent taste—it is deceptively strong. After a bucket of this drink, I can almost certainly promise that you will see something strange.

Previous Comments

ID

84921

Comment

Interesting story, Darren. Why would a man kill himself though? Did she not accept credit? If she was truly a specialist the fellow would have paid later and come back for more. She was likely bitter but no specialist.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-05-24T16:01:37-06:00