Milwaukee Bar Guide
30+ bars across Milwaukee's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Milwaukee invented the brandy Old Fashioned. The German-immigrant bar tradition that built the city in the 1800s shaped its drinking culture for the 200 years since. Pabst, Schlitz, and Miller all started here. Today Walker's Point's cocktail revival sits next to the heritage Wisconsin supper-club drinking culture.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. Walker's Point is the cocktail-and-creative spine. Third Ward holds the polished hotel and gallery-district bars. Riverwest is the dive-bar institution quarter. Bay View is the residential indie-bar district. Downtown covers the after-game crowd.
Cocktails run $10 to $13. Pints $4 to $6 — among the cheapest in any major US city. Tipping is 20 percent. Most bars run to 2am, weekend bars to 2:30am. Reserve Bryant's on weekends — small format and historic.
Browse by occasion
Cocktail Bars in Milwaukee
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Milwaukee
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Milwaukee
Romantic spots
After Work in Milwaukee
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Milwaukee
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Milwaukee
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Milwaukee
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Milwaukee
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
Bryant's Cocktail Lounge
Heritage cocktail bar from 1938. James Beard nomination multiple years. Long bar, dim red lighting, and the most authentic mid-century cocktail-room atmosphere in America.
At Random
Heritage cocktail-lounge bar from 1964. The Tiki-and-supper-club aesthetic preserved. Cash only. Reservations not accepted. Cocktails come heavy and slow.
Boone & Crockett
Cocktail bar with one of Milwaukee's longest whiskey lists. Long bar, neighbourhood-feel crowd, and a tight rotating cocktail menu.
The Diplomat
Boutique cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu. Twenty seats. The bartenders come from Bryant's. Reservations recommended.
Lakefront Brewery
Milwaukee brewery institution. Twelve house taps, brewery tours, and the most communal weekend brunch in the city. Family-friendly.
Wolski's Tavern
Heritage neighbourhood tavern from 1908. Famous bumper-sticker giveaway when you close the bar. Cash only. The most Milwaukee-feeling room in the city.
Neighbourhood Guide
Walker's Point
The cocktail-and-creative spine south of the river. Speakeasies, awarded cocktail rooms, and the densest concentration of serious bars in Wisconsin.
Third Ward
Heritage warehouse district. Polished cocktail rooms, gallery-attached drinking, and the most dressed-up after-work crowd.
Riverwest
The dive-bar institution quarter. Heritage neighbourhood taverns, cheap pitchers, and the most loyal regulars in Milwaukee.
Bay View
Residential indie-bar district south of Walker's Point. Boutique cocktail rooms, heritage cocktail lounges, and a thirty-something local crowd.
Downtown
The central business district. Sports bars near American Family Field, hotel cocktail rooms, and the post-Brewers-game crowd.
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