Milwaukee lounge named among best bars in US. What to know about the historic spot

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, a popular bar in Milwaukee's Historic Mitchell Street neighborhood, has been selected as one of USA TODAY'S Bars of the Year . The bar was one of 27 to make the list that was assembled by USA TODAY Network food writers across the country and includes everything from humble dives to high-end cocktail bars.

Bryant's was selected for its reputation as one of the oldest cocktail lounges in Milwaukee and its unique menuless ordering system.

"I think we do something really unique and special, so it feels good when its appreciated," Bryant's Cocktail Lounge owner John Dye said about making the Bars of the Year list. "It's national, bringing attention to Milwaukee, which is an awesome city for restaurants and bars. We have special places here."

See the nationwide list: USA TODAY's Bars of the Year 2024

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge a historical spot

Tucked away in a south-side neighborhood, Bryant's is an unassuming space that, at first glance, appears similar to most homes on the block.

But when patrons step inside the dimly lit bar with old leather chairs and carpeted floors, they take a trip back in time to the cocktail lounge that has served quality drinks for nearly 90 years.

It started in 1936 when Bryant and Edna Sharp took over a Miller Brewing tied house at a time when Mitchell Street was a main business district in Milwaukee. In 1938, Bryant rebranded the spot as a cocktail bar. He built a swanky lounge in the years that followed and prided himself on serving unique drinks.

He was rumored to be the creator of the Pink Squirrel, Blue Tail Fly and Banshee, all ice cream drinks that are still available at Bryant's today.

Bryant ran the bar until he died, and an employee, Carl "Pat" Malmberg, took over in the 1960s.

He preserved the original bar and added a lounge in the building's second level. But in 1971, a fire destroyed it all.

Despite the rest of the neighborhood becoming more residential, Malmberg was committed to keeping the historical cocktail lounge around. He rebuilt Bryant's as a retro 1950s lounge, sparing no expense, Dye said.

That Bryant's still stands today. It includes unique features such as a $21,000 custom McIntosh sound system (more expensive than most homes in the area at the time) and gold-plated cash registers. The former is still in use to play classical and jazz music, and the latter are now decor after being used up until April when the bar's cash register technician retired at age 90.

“Little things like that we have to change,” Dye said, “but we try to keep the spirit.”

Malmberg died in 2005, and the bar sat on the market for a few years. Dye, a history buff and service industry veteran, took over in 2008 and became the bar's third owner in nearly a century of business.

"I was a customer here, and it just felt right. I thought, you know, what if it's going to go away?" Dye said. "I couldn't let that happen."

RELATED: 14 great cocktail bars in Milwaukee to visit for a fancy drink

Bryant's unique drink catalog

Dye said the highest compliment is when customers liken the space to a museum, both in reference to the decor and the drinks.

Its cocktail catalog spans every decade it has been open, with matching glassware: Depression-era drinks like rail splitters and sidecars, hurricanes made popular during World War II and colorful cosmopolitans popular in the '90s. The bar’s bestsellers are ice cream drinks and Wisconsin old fashioneds. In all, about 500 drinks are available to customers.

More: How the list of best bars was decided

But most of the time, you won't find a menu; the bar doesn’t have one. Instead, patrons tell bartenders what they like to drink, and bartenders come up with something for each person. The exception is during the Christmas season when the bar has special offerings.

"The goal is to match somebody and what they like with a drink that they want," Dye said. "It’s a unique process, and that was something that came from Bryant. He really believed that menus limited people, and people wouldn't be willing to step outside their comfort zone if they just read it."

Customers can't even see what liquor is available. All bottles are stowed in a long, three-rowed rail below the bar, another aspect from the mid-1900s when it was not customary to have bottles visible behind the bar.

"You come here for the experience. Our customers are a lot of people visiting, a lot of cocktail fans, history fans; we have visitors from all over the world," Dye said. "It's unusual that it survived so long. It's one of those neat things about Milwaukee."

Details: 1579 S. Ninth St., Milwaukee, Wis.; 414-383-2620; bryantscocktaillounge.com

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee lounge named among best bars in US. What to know about the historic spot