They are Esquire Magazine, and they named my favorite cocktail lounge as number one on their list of the top ten bars in America.
This is good for the owner of the lounge, but bad for the customers. I'm selfish, so it's bad for me, too. Notoriety brings too much attention; too many curiosity seekers; too damn many college kids who don't know how to behave in a cocktail lounge with grown-ups around.
Bryant's Cocktail Lounge is in an old, quiet residential neighborhood in a working class part of the city. My wife and I began stopping there for cocktails when we were in our twenties, long before we met. It's dark inside, velour on the walls, a cozy bar, and nooks with tables and chairs. There is no jukebox. The owner plays standards over a McIntosh music system that has knobs and red lights and VU meters. There are no signs, neon or otherwise, and no television sets. There is no food, no bar snacks, no sandwiches. Just cocktails, period.
There are no beer tappers, a very odd thing for a joint in Milwaukee. Order a beer and a bartender or waitress will politely remind you that Bryant's is a cocktail lounge. There are no drink menus. The bar has a rolodex with recipes for more than 400 cocktails. If you don't know what you want, they'll pick out something for you.
Now Esquire "discovered" Bryant's and made this video about the place.
We stopped for cocktails last night about 10:30. The manager warmly welcomed as usual, and two places at the bar opened in a few minutes. We had a couple of cocktails, then a couple more. And enjoyed precious time for a happy, long talk about whatever was on our minds; in a dark, quiet bar, Sinatra, Bennett, Holiday, Mercer, Dorsey and so many others quietly playing and singing in the background.
Things were normal, a comfort to those who love this place. The Esquire video hasn't resulted in the place being mobbed. Things are good.
If you are in town, stop at Bryant's on a Tuesday night around 6:00 PM. I'll be sitting at the bar, enjoying a cocktail. If you see me, you can buy me a drink. I'm friendly like that. If you don't see me, just leave a ten dollar bill with my name on it. John the bartender will know what to do.
22 comments:
Makes me want to drive up to Milwaukee. Sounds perfect, Haz. What were the two of you drinking?
I was drinking a sazarac and she was drinking a joy and happiness.
Both were exceptional. Bryant's makes their own juices, flavorings, and apéritifs in a kitchen in their basement.
Is a scotch and soda a cocktail? Its really the only hard liquor drink I like.
When I worked as a bartender in Madison I made more fucking "Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet" than any man should have to! Second on the list, brandy Manhattan, then brandy Seven-up.
rcocean, Scotch and soda is a classic and manly cocktail.
Whaaa? No Side-cars?
THE "cocktail" drink..
Nick, when I tended bar it seemed like every "cocktail" was Seven and Seven. I hate it to this day.
It was fun when guys brought their escort girls to the bar. The girls would order whatever the heck they could think of that sounded high class. Tab and cognac was my all time favorite.
I couldn't stand rum and cokes. Back in the day my fave was a whiskey sour. Now I'd be open to experimentation :)
People Are People
Good lyrics.
Milwaukee is a dieing Rust Bult city that has lost 1/2 their population since 1950.....and home to Jeffrey Dahlmer.
It is a tired, old, gross city that makes nothing.
Milwaukee totally sucks...as does Wisconsin.
I thank God I moved out of that hellhole state.
And people are really fat there.
The perfect cocktail lounge, in my definition. I wish there were more of them around.
Seven up and whiskey - seems like a waste of good whiskey.
*Notes that Deb is open to experimentation*
To correct a few things:
Milwaukee is a dieing Rust Bult city that has lost 1/2 their population since 1950.....and home to Jeffrey Dahlmer
Dieing is to cut, form or stamp with or as with a die. Perhaps you meant dying, which is passing away, leading to death.
Bult should be Belt.
City is considered singular, so the sentence should read: "...has lost [half of] its population since 1950.
Milwaukee's 1950 population was 637,392. If Milwaukee had lost one-half of its population since 1950, its current population would be 318,696. According to the 2010 census, Milwaukee's population was 594,833, with a total population of 1,566,981 in its metropolitan standard statistical area. Your math was off, a surprise given the need for number usage in what you have described as your work life.
Dahlmer should be Dahmer.
According to the CDC, obesity in Massachusetts is a concern, as the overall adult obesity rate in the Boston metropolitan area is 22%, while the adult obesity rate in Milwaukee is 26.3%. Not much of a difference between the two cities.
Otherwise, I enjoyed your comment!
Correcting Titus is a fool's errand - his dementia is getting worse. I would say that he is suffering from dementia, but he seems to rather be enjoying it.
Math and English are beyond his limited mental skills. Being an annoying bitch, however, is what he does best.
Whoever is playing the Titus character these days needs to step up his or her act.
Original Titus from long ago was clever and witty. Original Titus never had problems with word usage, grammar, or spelling.
It's almost like somebody who knows better is trying to play to a poorly imagined stereotype.
Can't wait for the CD.
I want to visit Milwaukee (in the summer) to see the fantastic Art Museum.
My cousin tells me that the Milwaukee Summerfest music festival is something special. I prefer smaller venues and more intimate settings - but OK.
Add to that the best bar - Bryants. btw - The atmosphere looks great in there. I've discovered some amazing cocktail serving establishments, but they lack atmosphere.
Bryant's looks like the whole enchilada.
Au contraire, M. Haz - Titus has always been semi-literate. For example, he used "of" instead of "have" and there were several other tells that indicated that Titus comments were being written by our usual stupid little Titus.
Now - I don't know, don't care. But based on the increasing illiteracy I tend to think that Titus is still being written by Titus and his mental state is declining as his AIDS related dementia worsens.
Wannahikee is a forgotten city that has lost its small town character. It is still home to the pugnacious Warriors. People there paint their houses Arctic Cat Purple.
Wannahikee is now just another Dane County bedroom community that makes nothing and contributes nothing to metropolitan Madison, mainly because its people grew up and got the hell out.
Wannahikee totally sucks...as does Titus.
Looks just exactly like the kind of bar that I like to frequent. Quiet, good music, no blaring television, dark and intimate, good drinks, good conversation.
I don't usually drink 'cocktails'. Scotch with a splash of water and maybe a lemon peel twist is my drink of choice. No soda!!!! YUCK. Why would you ruin the taste of a good scotch with soda? Gentleman Jack on ice is a good sipping drink as well.
Anyhoo....If I order a mixed drink today it would be a Vodka Gimlet or Whiskey Sour. I also like a good Margarita....over, please. Not blended. If I want a slurpee, I'll go to the 7-11.
We keep a nicely stocked bar (actually in the shelf over the refrigerator) in case we have guests and want to have variety.
Sixty w/ that Scottish anger set free. I love it!!
I hear ya, Spinelli - when growing up I wished I could have been calm, like an Italian. You know, the guys who can calmly shatter your knee caps. That was the height of calmness, in my book.
Alas, it was never to be. Maybe if I did more yoga and meditated more, or something...
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