Will Green: The Whig, WECO Bottle and Biergarten (Columbia, SC)

Tucked under street level in the shadow of the South Carolina State Capitol in Columbia, SC, is The Whig, one of the best bars (in my opinion) in the South. There are good cocktails, string lights, taxidermy decor, gouda mac and cheese and burgers if you get hungry, and if you happen in on the right night, co-owner Will Green will be behind the bar, mixing cocktails and keeping the vibe chill with a calm, assuring demeanor. Will was a MFA student at the University of South Carolina when he pulled his first shift at The Whig, and years later he's moved into a leadership position as one of its owners, as well as also co-owning WeCo Bottle and Biergarten in neighboring West Columbia. He aims to elevate the dive bar personality of The Whig without making it lose its charm, and it's a tightrope he deftly traverses, while managing to keep a sense of humor about it all.