More MKE Bar Love In DRAFT Magazines 2013 Best Bars

Palm Tavern got the prime spot in the Midwest region article

Just yesterday we posted about Milwaukee having 2 of the 40 best bars in America as picked by Food & Wine Magazine and today we just read of more love coming our way. DRAFT Magazine just released their annual list for 2013 of their picks of Best Beer Bars and Milwaukee was represented well again with 3 of the 28 picks for the Midwest including Palm Tavern, Roman's Pub, and Sugar Maple. All three return to the list having been on previous years and Palm got special recognition.


DRAFT's list is in its sixth year and each year they do a separate article for different regions: West, Midwest, South, and Northeast. Within each region they do not rate them but simply list in alphabetical order and no description is given as to why they like the bar. In the print magazine however, each region includes one bar as the cover story - whether they pick this as the best of the region they do not say, but that bar gets a prominent place in the list and a small write up. A Milwaukee bar was selected for this, namely Palm Tavern. On the website they give more information, below is their write up for each Milwaukee bar.

PALM TAVERN | Milwaukee

This cozy, drive-by-and-you’ll-miss-it beer joint that’s still somehow under the radar continues to score some of the world’s sweetest barrels—bully for the bar’s adoring beer-geek (but friendly!) public. Picking between pints like 3 Fontienen Zwet.be and New Holland Dragon’s Milk’s a Herculean task, but the patient, smart staffers make for light guesswork. 2989 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., 414.744.0393

ROMANS’ PUB | Milwaukee

Still gruff, still pouring a head-turning selection of American and Belgian crafts that keep serious tickers busy. Stumble in when the owner’s feeling generous, and you might score a taste of one of the vintages lurking in the cellar. 3475 Kinnickinnic Ave., romanspub.com

SUGAR MAPLE | Milwaukee

The management should really be bragging about Sugar Maple’s quietly awesome lineup of 60 all-American, Wisconsin-heavy craft taps, but they’re too busy booking cultish indie bands to play practically every night of the week—so Tweet-worthy tappings from New Glarus and O’So stay close to the vest. 441 E. Lincoln Ave., mysugarmaple.com

Since we branch out past Milwaukee to announce state pride, just as with the Food & Wine list, DRAFT included one Madison bar, one new to the list:

THE MALT HOUSE TAVERN | Madison, Wis.

The real beer crowd escapes Mad Town’s collegiate rowdiness at this humble tavern, where Wisconsin-made 3 Sheeps beers and AeppelTreow ciders mingle with European craft. 2609 E. Washington Ave.,malthousetavern.com