Wednesday, November 30th -0001
Bryant's Cocktail Lounge
By Eric Teske
The same as it ever was, Bryant’s
opened as a beer hall exclusively
selling Miller products in 1938, but only did so for three years before it succumbed to a new niche: cocktails. Bryant’s is the oldest cocktail lounge in Milwaukee. To complete the switch, owner Bryant Sharp had to change the ambiance. He replaced
the jukebox with a record player spinning classical music albums and transforming the interior
into a swanky lounge. The space was later expanded with the addition of the upstairs “Velvet
Room,” which carries over the same luxe style.
Today, the place is pristinely maintained in the classic lounge style. A trip to Bryant’s is like stepping back in time. Very little has changed since the initial switch. The custom-designed booths are maybe even more comfortable today than the day they were installed. Duck into one of the many dark corners, either with a special date or for a unique night out with friends.
Behind the bar is a recipe list describing 450 drinks which have been accumulating since the 1940s. These classy dressed bartenders are masters of mixology
and simply just ask your preferred poison or flavor and concoct something to your taste. One of the more notable cocktails is the Rat Pack, a hurricane
drink that contains “everything
the Rat Pack drank:” including whiskey, gin, brandy, and vermouth. Of course, the bartender will also pour you some of the best classic cocktails
you will find in the city, including
anything from a sidecar to a sloe gin fizz. Bryant’s features
an extended happy hour from 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, which includes half-priced old fashions and depression-
era cocktails.
Listing: Bryants Cocktail Lounge
