Welcome to Bar Month at OnMilwaukee! For the entire month of March, we're serving up fun articles on bars, clubs and beverages – including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews, the results of our Best of Bars poll and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!
This content was created in partnership with Punch Bowl Social.
Punch Bowl Social. It’s known for three things: scratch food, socially engaging entertainment and crafty beverages.
The latter is a huge component for the brand, which serves up refreshment in spades from its high-volume circular bar. That means, wine, beer and a wide range of cocktails from punch bowls (of course!) to old-school classics and modern riffs. It also means plenty of non-alcoholic options -- from crafty mocktails to fresh juices, sodas, fizzes, shakes and malts.
The Milwaukee location will debut in the Fiserv Forum Entertainment Block at 1122 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. with a grand opening party on March 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and include craft beverages, free games and an opportunity to sample the entire Punch Bowl Social food menu.
Here are five of the refreshing beverages you can try when you go!
1. Barbados Tonic
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Is it a tequila sling? A tiki-inspired tonic? Couldn’t tell ya. But it sounds like a refreshing way to ease into an evening with friends.
Ingredients: Sauza blue silver tequila, Taylors velvet falernum liqueur, fresh lime juice, house-made simple syrup, Fever Tree Indian tonic
2. Lavender Sour
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Simple, simple. The sour is a classic. But this pretty little number harbors herbal notes along with lingering floral and citrus thanks to Bombay London dry gin, housemade lavender syrup and fresh lemon juice.
3. Connoisseur’s Cup
When "punch bowl" is in the name, you can be sure there will also be a crowd-pleasing punch on the menu. This one capitalizes on herbal notes from mint, balsam fir and lavender balanced out by floral and citrus notes.
Ingredients: Broker’s gin, Teakoe’s Kodiak mountain mint tea, house-made lavender syrup, Dolin Blanc, fresh lemon juice
4. Dark and Stormy
The gingery zing of this classic gets a boost from Far North Spirits' Alandar Nordic style spiced rum, which incorporates whole allspice, nutmeg and clove. You'll find notes of gingersnap and banana bread along with the balance of refreshing lime.
We're banking on the fact that this little ditty will be a complementary match for Punch Bowl Social's chicken and waffles.
5. The Two Hats Blues
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Whether you’ve the sad blues, the angry blues, the lonely blues or the laughing blues, you can shake ‘em all down with this warming whiskey-based tipple.
Ingredients: Old Overholt rye whiskey, St. Elizabeth’s allspice dram, Dom Benedictine liqueur
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
