There are a million spots to grab a drink in Wisconsin — we’ve got three times more bars than grocery stores, after all — but some places are just so much cooler than others, it’s barely a contest. Tucked into an unassuming house on Milwaukee’s near south side is one of the most amazing drinking spots in the entire country. This cocktail lounge is the oldest in the city and it has honed the swanky, vintage feel it carries for decades. This is no faux, put-on lounge trying to cash in on nostalgia and hipster drinkers — Bryant’s has been this amazingly cool since 1938.
Bryant's actually opened as a Miller "tied house" in 1936, but just two years later, Bryant Sharp took out the jukebox and replaced it with a record player and switched to serving only cocktails and thus what is believed to be the first cocktail lounge in Wisconsin was born.
The thing about Bryant's is that it doesn't have to try to be cool — it just effortlessly is. Small and dark, with an ancient sound system and a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, Bryant's doesn't do large crowds or bus tours or more than a few friends hanging out. They serve you at your table and they don't seat you until everyone is there. Drinking at Bryant's is a full on experience and you sort of just sit back, chill, and enjoy it.
A 1971 fire destroyed everything but the building, but Bryant's came back as strong as ever. Not much about the inside changed to the untrained eye, but it was all upgraded. There's a three-tier rail behind the bar that holds more bottles than you can really comprehend. The whole place was elevated while still maintaining the swanky atmosphere that brings folks back to Bryant's.
This is Wisconsin, so much people's go-to cocktail is an Old Fashioned and certainly, you can have a fabulous one here, but one of the great things about Bryant's is that they have no menu.
Combine the most massive collections of spirits and mixers and some proprietary bits with the truly encyclopedic knowledge of the bartenders here and you come up with a situation that cannot be contained in a menu.
When you talk to the bartenders here you tell them some flavors you like or don't like. You tell them your mood. Maybe you even tell them a color. And then they create a personalized cocktail you'll adore.
There's just nowhere in the country like Bryant's, from the decor to the drinks and the whole experience. Plenty of places try to manufacture this kind of laid-back cool, but none of them come close. Head to Bryant's with time on your hands, an open mind and a desire to kick back and you'll have one of the best nights of your life.
