Nestled on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, Madison is the fastest-growing metropolis in Wisconsin, in addition to the state capital. It’s additionally a energetic faculty city with a strong historical past of civil activism and what’s believed to be the most important producers-only farmers market within the nation. It’s no surprise Wisconsin native Brian Bartels is blissful to wax poetic about his hometown. “There are additionally extra eating places per capita than another United States metropolis, providing fried cheese curds, beer-soaked bratwurst, and the one and solely Friday evening barbeque,” says Bartels. “And better of all, good folks ready to say hello in all places you flip—particularly when you’ve got a canine.”
With a hospitality profession that started in Madison at age 15, and included a decade because the beverage director for New York Metropolis’s Pleased Cooking Hospitality, Bartels (additionally the writer of The Bloody Mary and The USA of Cocktails) returned residence and swiftly acquired into enterprise with previous buddies. They opened the Settle Down Tavern in 2020 (residence of the Good Thought double-patty smash burger, and a nitro Espresso Martini), and Oz by Oz in 2021, a cocktail “snack straightforward” that leans into witchy vibes and kismet encounters. “Individuals who have lived right here earlier than are transferring again, as a result of it’s exhausting to discover a higher metropolis in America for all the pieces you would need out of day by day life,” says Bartels.
Ancora
Girls-owned and operated, Ancora has been a Madison establishment because the ’90s. “It’s one in every of my gold requirements for Madison espresso,” says Bartels. “I’m a chilly brew Beastie Boy, and Ancora’s chilly brew makes me combat for my proper to social gathering.” With 4 places across the metropolis, Ancora’s natural, truthful commerce espresso drinks and from-scratch baked items are extra accessible than ever. Attempt their signature Honey Bacon Biscuit sandwich on a house-made buttermilk biscuit paired with a seasonal drink just like the Pumpkin Maple Cream Chilly Brew (maple-sweetened chilly brew topped with pumpkin cream chilly foam made with their home pumpkin syrup).
Caribou Tavern
“Ah, the ’Bou. The Miracle on Johnson Road and residential to the very best bartender in Madison, Winslow Clever,” says Bartels. The Madison establishment, working since 1966, continues to attract a cross-section of town for PBRs, brandy Outdated Fashioneds, and their legendary burger, all doled out by Clever, who has labored the bar on the tavern for 25 years. “He’s the consummate skilled, and the one one working your complete bar—host, bouncer, bartender, cook dinner, bon vivant, and consummate skilled,” says Bartels. “Think about if the very best concierge from the 4 Seasons was working a dive bar in downtown Madison. Welcome to the ’Bou.”
Le Tigre Lounge
“When buddies who’ve by no means been to Madison go to, I take them to Le Tigre,” says Bartels. “It’s a dive bar in a strip mall with tigers, pink lights, no seen bottles on the again bar, and a jukebox caught in time.” The tigers in query are stuffed animals, porcelain collectible figurines, velvet work, and one very unlucky taxidermy, among the many a whole bunch of representations. A household operation because the mid-’60s, the lounge stays a beloved watering gap for gin Martinis and some tunes by Rosemary Clooney or The Platters. “It’s one half David Lynch movie, one half Outdated Vegas hideaway, equal components escape room you by no means wish to escape from,” says Bartels. “They’ve few guidelines, one in every of which isn’t any swearing.”
Mint Mark
A seasonal restaurant highlighting the very best of Wisconsin’s bounty, Mint Mark is co-owned by Chad Vogel, who additionally operates native bars the Robin Room and Muskellounge (aka Muskie Lounge). “Not solely is it the most effective eating places in Madison, it wields an all the time spectacular cocktail menu that feels tailored for the meals. There are those that say cocktails and meals can’t play nicely collectively, however Mint Mark defies the logic.” So whilst you’re eating on preserved beets with crème fraiche or roasted Vitruvian mushrooms with fennel pistou, strive a cocktail just like the Aloe Airmail with rum, aloe liqueur, honey, lime, and glowing wine. “Professional tip: All the time take into account the rotating faucet Sangrita,” provides Bartels.
Oz by Oz
Boasting one in every of Madison’s largest collections of amaro and a playful collection of home cocktails from the domestically well-known Black Squirrel Outdated Usual to a freezer Bloody Mary, Oz by Oz opened in 2021 and “makes a speciality of magic, astrology, kismet encounters, sudden hoodoo, and eclectic interludes for the entire cocktail household,” says Bartels. “Plus the entire art work on the partitions is by native artists and accessible for buy.” Catch Witching Hour throughout the first two hours of service day-after-day for $9 cocktails. And if it occurs to be the season of your astrological signal, your second drink is on the home.
Public Parking
Barely open a yr, Public Parking is already heaping on the nationwide accolades. “A cocktail bar to finish all cocktail bars? Maybe. Madison is a boomerang city; folks go away and are available again as a result of it’s such an awesome place,” says Bartels. “A type of folks is JR Mocanu, and Public Parking is his child.” With a big menu of rotating originals, riffs on classics, and a few dabbling within the tropical realm, the bar flexes playfully with drinks like Mary Berry’s Soggy Backside (gin, navy-strength rum, rhubarb-orange marmalade, Earl Gray, cashew ginger butter, egg white). The menu flips quarterly, together with intermittent pop-ups, like a Nice British Baking Present-themed menu for December. “They don’t take themselves too significantly, and that’s the entire level of a well-executed, modern-day craft cocktail bar,” says Bartels. “The cocktails are whimsical, however the method and integrity behind the execution is exemplary.”
Robin Room
Opened in 2016 by Chad Vogel, the Robin Room was “instrumental in serving to catapult Madison’s cocktail scene into being what it’s at this time,” says Bartels. “What Robin Room lacks in dimension, it eclipses with a never-rotating beverage program fueled by craft cocktail ninjas who can deal with any request any time of day.” That rotating program consists of slushie specials, cocktails crafted with tea sourced from their neighbor The Teasider—like a draft sangria with rosé, pisco, and a rose petal black tea syrup—and one of many largest mezcal collections in Madison to be loved neat or included right into a cocktail like Meet Me on the Salsa Bar (mezcal, corn liqueur, pink pepper, habanero, lime).
Sardine
Nestled on the shore of Lake Monona in a former warehouse, chef-owned Sardine has been a Madison favourite since opening its doorways in 2006. “They’ve the most effective bars to take a seat at and have a chunk to eat, some oysters, and a chilly, dry Martini,” says Bartels. However don’t sleep on the remainder of the inventive cocktail menu, from aperitifs just like the Shim Sham (Sake, Gin, Saffron Liqueur, lime, cucumber, shiso) to deal with originals just like the Brown Butter Outdated Usual (brown butter washed Bourbon, Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur, Montenegro Amaro). “Strolling into the restaurant all the time appears like listening to an orchestra tuning their devices earlier than a Carnegie Corridor efficiency,” says Bartels.
Settle Down Tavern
Brian Bartels’ first Madison enterprise upon returning residence, the Settle Down Tavern opened within the perilous summer time of 2020. “Settle Down grew to become the little smash burger engine that would by means of the early levels of COVID and has persevered over the previous 5 years into being a downtown Madison touchstone,” says Bartels. The true neighborhood joint hits all of the marks from “cheese puppies” (a scrumptious cheese curd and hush pet hybrid) and a rotating home pickle program to playful home cocktails like a recent, celery-based bitter dubbed Sam Saved a Child Duckling Final Week to the bourbon-and-Campari-based Purple Squirrel Outdated Usual. There’s even a United States of Cocktails part Bartels’ e-book that celebrates recipes from bartenders throughout the nation.
Flip Key Supper Membership
Bartels’ latest Madison institution is an homage to a distinctly Wisconsin custom. “Wisconsin is thought for its supper golf equipment, together with Bloody Marys served with a beer chaser, Brandy Outdated Fashioneds served candy, bitter, or press, and ice cream drinks three hundred and sixty five days a yr,” he explains. Flip Secret is a contemporary tackle the beloved fashion that has a bit (or lots) of enjoyable with the idea. “They’ve a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar throughout brunch, created the Rooty Outdated Usual (a Wisconsin Outdated Usual made with root beer), and have ‘Membership Crusty,’ a novel tackle the over-popularity of Soiled Martinis. A Crusty is including a jumbo shrimp to any drink, typically seen on the sting of their Martinis, Bloody Marys, Outdated Fashioneds, and, after all, ice-cold bottles of Excessive Life,” says Bartels. “Come by for the tasty grub. Keep for the ice cream drinks.”
Working Draft Beer Firm
“You want pilsner? Nice. Come to the Mecca of Pilsner glory,” says Bartels. “Working Draft has been round since 2018 and retains getting higher.” Although the brewery could have been based with an purpose to craft European-style lagers, which they certainly do very nicely, their broad vary might be seen with different taproom favorites like Pop Tradition Hazy IPA. “Begin with ‘To These Who Wait,’ a Czech pilsner with Bohemian malts, Saaz hops, and the desires of unicorns dancing in your tongue,” suggests Bartels. “Additionally they do enjoyable cross-collabs with different native breweries like ALT-Brew, an area gluten-free brewery.”
Younger Blood
Wisconsin has no scarcity of breweries, from historic nationwide manufacturers to sought-after cult favorites. Falling extra into the latter class, Younger Blood has been brewing since 2020, making all the pieces from experimental sours to crisp lagers. Only a block from the capitol constructing within the historic First Settlement district, their flagship taproom presents a rotating listing of brews on draft or in cans to go just like the Boone’s Farm Associated Scar, a pastry bitter with cherry, key lime, and vanilla, or I Thought You Stated Fantasy Futbol, a Belgian IPA. “Younger Blood makes one in every of my all-time favourite IPAs, which additionally occurs to be (no plug meant) our unique IPA at Settle Down Tavern, the Take It Straightforward IPA,” says Bartels.
