The Overlook Lodge, the Shining-inspired bar tucked into Pleasant Ridge, is swapping its usual horror-movie vibe for something even spookier this fall. Starting October 1 and running through November 1, the bar is hosting The Haunting, a Halloween pop-up loaded with haunted objects, themed cocktails and immersive decor timed to the bar's 11th year in business.
A Haunted Museum and a New Cocktail Menu
The pop-up is the work of Gorilla Cinema Presents, the company behind the bar, which is also promising a haunted museum of spooky items as part of the experience, according to Cincinnati CityBeat. Owner Jacob Trevino reportedly sourced the museum's items from summer trips to Mystic, Connecticut, per the same report. Visitors can expect to browse those haunted items while sipping from an entirely new menu served in themed glassware, according to The Overlook Lodge's own website.
The drink list leans into the season's dark humor with cocktails like the Clown Pear-anoia, made with mezcal, Suze, vermouth, pear, fennel and lemon, and the Scream-sicle, built from tequila, Licor 43, Aperol, a spiced carrot-orange cordial and lemon juice, per CityBeat. Beyond the glassware, the bar's events page describes themed glassware and a cocktail and mocktail menu paired with immersive decor and projection mapping running all season long, according to the same page.
Projection Mapping From a Blink Co-Founder
That projection mapping comes courtesy of Brave Berlin, an original founder of the Cincinnati light and art festival Blink, per CityBeat's reporting. Graphics for the pop-up were created by Katie Treviño of Wonderlush Design, and CityBeat reports the experience, dubbed The Haunting of the Overlook Lodge, draws inspiration from Rod Serling's work, including The Twilight Zone.
The Overlook Lodge has built a reputation on that kind of cinematic theming. The bar is inspired by and modeled after Stephen King's The Shining, a concept Visit Cincy describes as making it already a memorable bar even before the seasonal makeovers begin.
Free Events Lead Up to Halloween Night
Leading up to Halloween, the bar is hosting a run of free weekly events, including Killer Trivia Tuesdays with Trevino himself, a Cemetery Drive emo night with a DJ spinning emo songs, and Spooky DJs, according to the bar's website. There's also an interactive Horror Movie Survival Camp experience, where Camp Councilors Chad and Sally try to keep guests alive through a horror movie screening paired with signature cocktails, per the events page.
That Survival Camp format is not new to the bar. Its seventh season returned to The Overlook Lodge this year, and the format blends cult horror films with audience participation, trivia, giveaways and spooky surprises, according to Everything Cincy. The bar's own site notes free screenings happen every Wednesday during the season.
A Bar Known for Reinventing Itself Seasonally
The Halloween transformation follows a pattern for The Overlook Lodge, which is operated by Gorilla Cinema Presents and located at 6083 Montgomery Road in Pleasant Ridge. The bar has also partnered with Cocktail Kingdom on Miracle Bar, an immersive holiday pop-up experience, Trevino told Cincinnati Refined in an interview about running Gorilla Cinema's bars, which also include The Video Archive.
That holiday version, known as Miracle at the Overlook Lodge, is a 70-minute immersive experience that requires tickets, which sell out fast and cost $40 including a welcome shot, two cocktails and gratuity, according to Visit Cincy. The exact dates for this year's holiday run are unclear: Visit Cincy lists the pop-up as running November 21 through December 28, while the bar's own events page lists November 15 through December 29. Ticketing details, pricing and the precise schedule for The Haunting itself have not been published.
