Are We to the Brew Pub Yet?

During the last leg of our Northwoods travels this summer, Kari and I took an alternate route home to scout out a brew pub. I am happy to report that the Angry Minnow brewpub in Hayward, WI did not disappoint.

Now, if you’re saying to yourself “I know that place!,” this post is for you. Shortly after I got home and loaded a few pictures onto Facebook, a friend chimed in to report that the Angry Minnow was one of their favorite bars near their cabin! Amazing. Who would have known that? Not me.

This is where you, the reader, comes in. Let me know your favorite Wisconsin bars. Maybe it’s a log structure up north or a sleek cocktail lounge downtown. Perhaps it’s the corner bar you escape to unwind at every year while visiting the in-laws. Whatever it is, tell me why it matters. What’s unique about it?

So what’s cool about the Angry Minnow? Well, for starters, it’s located a few blocks from the crowded Main Street part of town. The historic brick building that houses the brewery and restaurant was built in 1889 as an office for the North Wisconsin Lumber Company. The exposed brick walls, hardwood floors, and colorful glass windows make for a comfortable laid back setting. The food was top notch and the variety of beers well worth sampling. Kari was doing the testing and highly recommends the River Pig Ale. Road trips have never been so fun!




Next time you’re headed anywhere near Hayward, be sure to check out the Angry Minnow Restaurant and Brewing Co. at 10440 Florida Avenue.

Banking on a Good Time in Hurley

A few weeks ago my wife, Kari, and I headed north for another Fill’er Up book event. I like to multi-task so I figured the short three day weekend would provide ample opportunity for tavern and brewery research.

The drive to Ashland from Madison is a long one but we headed straight north to Hurley to kick off the weekend. The buildings along Silver Street—Hurley’s main drag—soldier along respectably by daylight but come to life after dark. The bright neon lights and music coming out into the street make up the atmosphere most people associate with Hurley.

Hurley’s reputation for good times is well-established. People have been squeezing into bars there for over 125 years now. In fact, in 1893 Hurley had more saloons per capita than the other range towns. Hurley had 60 bars which allowed for 1 bar for every 38 residents! The scene has changed somewhat today, but there are still two dozen bars or so.

People come from all over to get their fill and Hurley has a variety of establishments and entertainments to offer. While discussing the towns best bars with fellow revelers, one guy shared that Hurley is like heaven! Another opined that after decades of vacationing there, Hurley was getting gentrified. The brick sidewalks near the intersections, he noted, were a bit too cutesy.

It would be foolish of me to share all of the highlights from our research along Silver Street at this time. Surely you understand that I need save the gems, observations, and learnings for the book.

Yet, how can I resist a few tid-bits. The most unexpected highlight was the full marching band that blasted its way into a bar for a rendition of “Beer Barrel Polka.” Another favorite was coming across the former Hurley National Bank building which is, perhaps appropriately enough, now a bar as well.



Thinking back, my favorite experiences that night were meeting the bartenders, bar owners, and former bar owners now sitting on the other side of the bar. Each individual had a tale to offer and countless anecdotes about Hurley’s illustrious past. But more than that, each of them shared a sense of pride in their taverns, their past, and in Hurley as well.

As the sun rose the next morning, we headed west to Ashland for a visit to the Deep Water Grille and Ashland’s South Shore Brewery. The trip had just begun, but oh what fun we were having. That’s all for now, more to follow.

I know you like doing tavern research. Do you have a favorite bar in Wisconsin with a long history, unique interior, or an interesting story? If so, let us know about it. Don’t worry, we won’t tell everyone, not yet at least. We’re just doing research at this point…

Makes Me Wanna Holler!!

As everyone knows, Milwaukee has no shortage of bars. So when I found myself here for a car show, I just had to do some “research.” Map in hand I navigated south to West Lincoln Avenue and checked in on a recommendation for our forthcoming book.

The suggested bar, the Holler House, did not disappoint. Business is slow in the summer so I had the bartender all to myself. No, it wasn’t some disinterested employee. I had the owner to myself for half an hour and received a guided tour of the place. The owner Marcy Skowronski has been working there for over 50 years now and as if that wasn’t enough, her late husband’s family has owned the tavern for 100 years. It opened in 1908 as Skowronski’s.

The bar is a real classic. Well appointed with a beautiful back bar and an original tin ceiling, the Holler House has a lot to offer. If you’re interested, there are a variety of garments hanging in a corner you can try on for the night. There are a smattering of signed bras draped from lights and hooks. Marcy shared that they cleaned and had to take down all of the frayed ones a few years ago. Apparently they boxed them all away somewhere.

In addition to the aforementioned highlights, there are two bowling lanes downstairs. The wooden lanes are original and the tavern still uses pin boys who place the pins back in the set and roll the balls back to the bowlers. Milwaukee is a city with a strong bowling history and the Holler House surely represents this with longevity and style. In fact, the Holler House is said to be the oldest bowling alley in the United States. This bar is quintessential Milwaukee and well worth the stop if you’re on Milwaukee’s south side. The Holler House is at 2042 West Lincoln Avenue, Milwaukee.

Hey, do you know of a classic Wisconsin bar? We want to hear from you! In fact, we need to hear from you because there’s no way we could find all of the best taverns on our own. Tell us you favorite and why it matters.

Welcome to Classic Wisconsin Bars

Prosit! We are authors of an upcoming book on historic Wisconsin breweries and bars and we would love to hear your suggestions, stories, and see your photos and ephemera. We have created this blog as a way for you to share with us, so please participate and send all your friends our way too. We will be providing information about the types of places we are looking for, and what you can do to help.