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…