Did RNC guests eat and drink differently than Wisconsinites? Here's what bartenders said

The Republican National Convention took over hotels and the downtown entertainment district for four days, bringing a slew of new faces from around the country to Milwaukee.

Bars and restaurants did their best to prepare for the visitors, but were there any unexpected favorites from the out-of-towners? We asked bartenders around the convention site, and here's what they said.

So much Spotted Cow

Bartenders repeatedly said they served a lot of New Glarus Spotted Cow , the beer famously known to be sold only in Wisconsin. Also popular was the Wisconsin old fashioned and Lakefront Brewery beers.

"Everybody wants to try a Spotted Cow, naturally," said Riley Gwilliam, who bartends at Craft at the Trade Hotel, 420 W. Juneau Ave., next to Fiserv Forum where the RNC was held. "It's always really sweet, the people who aren't from here go, 'I want one of those, uh, Wisconsin beers.' And I'm like, I know the one."

"It was more local stuff than normal," said Mike, a bartender at Copper on King, 1019 N. King Drive, who did not want to give his last name. "Fifty percent of the drinks were Spotted Cow, Lakefront drinks or old fashioneds."

"We've gotten a lot of Schlitz, a lot of tapped Schlitz, and, I mean, per usual, New Glarus," said Rae Law at Milwaukee Brat House.

Classic cocktails

Bartenders also said they saw more simple, classic cocktails orders than normal.

"I served a bunch of Tom Collins the other day. I put one out, and then everyone wanted one,” said Andrew Trumbull, who was bartending for an event at the Iron Horse Hotel, 500 W. Florida St., on Wednesday and had bartended at other events elsewhere during the RNC. “It’s nice to see people ordering classic cocktails.

"Other than that, vodka sodas, just light drinks. It's been so hot," he said.

Old fashioneds were popular at another downtown hotel, according to a bartender who did not give their name due to the hotel's media policy.

They said Wisconsin old fashioneds and regular old fashioneds, (without a soda mixture) were equally popular.

"A lot of scotch," Gwilliam at Craft said. "Especially Dewars."

"A lot more classic call drinks as compared to anything off our traditional menu," she noted, specifically John Daly's and Manhattans. "It was a lot of two-part mixers and classic call drinks."

The most popular mixer was tequila soda, she said.

Eggy Singzon served the VIP section at The New Fashioned, across from Fiserv in the Deer District at 1122 N. Phillips Ave., and said he served mostly two-part mixers. The most popular were Jack and Cokes and Tito's vodka mixers, he said.

Brats and cheese curds ... but also ribs, Reubens and Caesar salads

The Old German Beer Hall, 1009 N. King Drive, served an unusual number of Reubens, according to bartender Van Walker.

"What was unique was the most common food order were Reubens," he said. "More Reubens than we typically make, by a lot."

Another server on King Drive, who would not give their name due to their restaurant's media policy, said they ran out of brats — twice.

Not only were classic Wisconsin brats popular, but so were cheese curds.

"I know it's bar food, but so many cheese curds, and they all ate Caesar salads. Grilled chicken Caesar salads," Gwilliam at Craft said. "I swear, I saw more Caesar salads in four days than I have in years of being a bartender."

Tracyleigh Davis worked the lunch shift every day of the RNC at Carson's, 301 W. Juneau Ave.. She said people were ordering heavier lunches than usual.

"People were ordering real entrees — like ribs, steak — for lunch," she said. "People were coming from these places with sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres. They came in here saying they wanted, like, real food. Take-a-nap-after-you-eat kind of meal."

Less alcohol

Lou Stevhenson at Mader's, 1041 N. King Drive, also worked every lunch shift during the RNC. He said he served less alcohol than usual.

"Since it was a lot of people from out of town, people weren't drinking as much during the day," he said. "Normally we get all these people who get beer with lunch, but they were just like, coffee, tea, juice or soda."

Courtney, who was bartending with Trumbull at the Iron Horse Hotel, also said she was serving less alcohol.

"It's been a lot of soda, and people just not drinking like normal," she said.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Did RNC guests eat and drink differently than Wisconsinites? Here's what bartenders said