Auditorium Hotel, Chicago. Wine List

Wine list from Chicago’s fine dining during the Columbian Exposition.

The Auditorium Building, a Chicago architectural landmark, was originally designed as a multi-use complex including a hotel. Built in 1889 by the iconic duo of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, it was once the tallest and most expensive building in Chicago. The proprietors of the hotel, James H. Breslin and R.H. Southgate, designed the luxurious accommodations to match the splendor of the structure.

The elegance is reflected in this 1893 Wine List for the Auditorium Hotel, issued when thousands of visitors were attending the Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park. Dozens of wines, liqueurs, and cordials are priced across fourteen pages, with the most expensive entry at $8/quart (about $300 today) for 1870 Clos de Vougeot or 1877 Romanee Conti. Ales, beers, cider, and mineral waters are far less costly. The rich variety of available beverages was intended to appeal to upper-class guests and showcase the cosmopolitan nature of the Auditorium Hotel during the World’s Fair.