Old North Columbus is getting a fresh pour of cocktail culture. Proof By The Alibi, a sister spot from the crew behind The Alibi Bourbon & Cocktail Lounge, is set to open April 3 in the former Bossy Grrl's Pin Up Joint at 2598 N. High St. The new bar will lean into a speakeasy-inspired design, add more seats than the Short North original and focus squarely on finely tuned drinks.
The April 3 debut was quietly staked out on the bar’s website, then teased on social channels, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The paper reports the concept will operate under the name Proof By The Alibi and is designed to bring The Alibi’s craft-cocktail program north up High Street into Old North.
Owner Josh Chapman is steering the expansion, an offshoot of his Short North cocktail room, The Alibi, per The Alibi's website. Eater notes that the original Alibi opened in October 2020 at 843 N. High St., giving Chapman a seasoned Short North base for recipes, training and staff support.
What to expect
The Old North location will feature its own cocktail list, increased seating and a more pronounced speakeasy feel built for conversation and sipping, according to The Columbus Dispatch. While regulars can expect the same attention to bourbon and spirit-forward classics that defines the Short North bar, operators say they are planning new signature drinks tailored specifically to the neighborhood.
Old North staple changes hands
Before the cocktail shakers arrived, 2598 N. High St. housed Bossy Grrl's Pin Up Joint, a longtime Old North destination for drag, burlesque and late-night karaoke that performers described as a community hub in The Lantern. The venue shut its doors in December, and its owners announced a sale to Chapman, 614NOW reported. On Instagram, the changeover was framed as a "prohibition-era glow-up" for the familiar space.
Staffing and opening logistics
Job postings tied to The Alibi show the team is hiring bartenders and servers with mixology chops for the new location, according to a Glassdoor listing. The ad notes opportunities for cross-training at the Short North bar, suggesting Chapman intends to seed Proof By The Alibi with experienced staff from his existing operation while building out a dedicated Old North crew.
For Old North, the shift trades a queer-centered performance venue for a craft-cocktail bar and is likely to reshape the block’s late-night mix once the doors open. Proof By The Alibi’s April 3 launch will serve as an early test of whether a speakeasy-style cocktail room can settle into Old North’s nightlife while still acknowledging the neighborhood’s performance-heavy roots.
