For cocktail writer and author Robert Simonson, Wisconsin has always held its own in the cocktail world — even when he moved away to be a writer in New York City for decades.
Now, Simonson’s back home in Milwaukee where he's continuing to write about food, drink, history and regional culture. As a part of this exploration, he joins me for “Bar Talk” to share some of the most memorable local drinks he’s had in the past month.
For October, we're exploring Milwaukee’s recent boom in the fine-dining sector and what cocktails they have to offer.
Here are Simonson's recommendations for October:
Milwaukee has seen a lot of activity in the last year in the fine-dining sector, with a several high-profile new restaurants opening around town. With new restaurants comes new cocktail programs.
Peackock Lounge at High Stakes by Bartolotta
Perhaps the splashiest opening was High Stakes, a new steak house by the Bartolotta Group. High Stakes arrived with its own cocktail bar, a florid alley called the Peacock Lounge, which is decorated in shades of pink and green, with a large stuffed peacock greeting you at the door. The coasters are large playing cards featuring caricatures of famous Wisconsinites past and present.
The first page of the bound cocktail menu is devoted to spins on classics like the gimlet and white lady. My favorite was the Water Street Cosmo, which was made of locally made Rehorst citrus honey vodka, lime juice, clementine liqueur instead of orange liqueur and saffron-infused grenadine instead of cranberry juice. It’s not as tart as your typical Cosmopolitan, but the clementine and honey lend the drink a fun and unusual sweetness and fruitiness that I enjoyed.
Il Ponte
Opening around the same time at High Stakes was Il Ponte, a new Italian restaurant from the team at Lupi & Iris. There is a short cocktail list which features a fine Black Manhattan. But the standout drink is the bergamot spritz, made of bergamot liqueur, bergamot puree, olive brine and sparkling rose wine. You could call it a dirty spritz. An olive garnish accents the brine, but the rose calms the saltiness down, keeping the spritz from getting too savory. It’s a balancing act that works.
Lupi & Iris
Il Ponte is just steps from its sister restaurant Lupi & Iris. Both restaurants have large bars. Before a recent meal at Lupi, I enjoyed a wonderful cocktail at that bar. It’s called Le Manchot. That is French for penguin. My guess is that’s a reference to the Tuxedo No. 2, a classic cocktail that calls for gin, vermouth, maraschino liqueur and absinthe. This version used blanche Armagnac, which is a French style of brandy, blanc vermouth, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters. It’s a very sophisticated cocktail, flavorwise, yet it is easy-drinking. I almost ordered a second. It’s my favorite new cocktail I’ve had in the past month.
Purslane
Another newish restaurant garnering attention is Purslane on the East Side, which opened in summer 2025. The mediterranean flavors of the cuisine are reflected in the cocktail menu as well. The house Manhattan, which is called Above the Terracotta, has a rye whiskey base that is flavored with fenugreek and caraway. There’s also a bit of coffee in there and Pecan Barrel Aged Bitters. This all gives the drink an unusual but lovely edge that is grainy, seedy, and nutty all at once.
Āya
Another recently opened Mediterranean restaurant Āya. The place has a long white and green bar where you can eat if you like, or just enjoy a cocktail. Āya has a Martini tableside cart service that I plan to check out next time I’m there, but for now my favorite drink on the menu is the simply titled Fig, which is made with Fig-flavored vodka, Midori Melon liqueur and grapefruit liqueur. It’s really just a Midori Sour, a cocktail that’s not typically associated with fancy restaurants. But the grapefruit and fig, combined with the melon, elevate it and set it apart as a kind of broader orchard sour.
EsterEv
Finally, EsterEv, the Bayview restaurant that began with a tasting menu but now serves food a la carte, has a great mocktail on the menu. It’s called Denial Is a River and it’s made of a non-alcoholic version of the Italian amaro Lucano, licorice tea, walnut orgeat, licorice tea, lime and grapefruit. It’s a rare NA cocktail that tastes like a cocktail. It’s sweet and nutty and mouth puckering, a perfect aperitivo that makes you want to dive into the food menu.
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