Some unique regional home amenities come and go, while some become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. This week: Basement Bars!
There are some foods, drinks, and general ways of life that—despite not being fully exclusive to our state—are considered to be “Wisconsin things.” Some examples we’ve already covered include things like Friday Fish Fry, cheese curds, meat raffles, our heroic consumption of brandy and custard, Danish Kringle, blue moon ice cream, hot ham and rolls on Sundays, “SMO” pizza, and our collective holiday-adjacent affinity for treats like Tom And Jerry and raw beef sandwiches.
Another decidedly “Wisconsin thing” in a famously heavy-drinking state where taverns outnumber grocery stores is the prevalence of home basement bars. While—we repeat—we know they’re not wholly exclusive to Wisconsin residences, we’re willing to bet the volume of basement bars in Wisconsin vastly exceeds the number of similar in-home drinking enclaves in any other state.
Milwaukee historian John Gurda says many of the basement bars scattered throughout Wisconsin (and beyond) were built after World War II, when people felt they could let loose again.
“We were all going through the same thing. It was that 15 years of the Depression and war when things were pretty much on ice, and then you celebrate when things are finally back to normal,” Gurda told WUWM in a 2021 segment about basement bars.
In the close to 80 years since then, Wisconsin has continued to put its basements to use as makeshift private bars where families, friends, and neighbors can gather and enjoy life together. So what constitutes a Wisconsin basement bar? Much like snowflakes, no two Wisconsin basement bars exactly are the same, but they’re each beautiful in their own way.
Sometimes these rooms are given a name—oftentimes a lighthearted moniker suiting the homeowner’s personality such as Johnny Modelo’s, Key West Allis, or Meatcat’s.
They can be sprawling, spacious, and well-preserved accents of a home’s lowest level.
Situated in cozy corners of partially finished basements.
Or tucked under the stairs.
Even when the ceiling is low, spirits are usually high when you’re in a basement bar. The drinks are cheap (because you’ve already purchased them at the liquor store) and tipping isn’t necessary, the hours are flexible, and the cocktails are made just the way you like…because you’re the person making them. The playlist is perfect and no obnoxious strangers can ruin your night. And if you’re the owner of said basement bar, the commute home couldn’t be any better.
Knickknacks, tchotchkes, memorabilia, and other decorative pieces that might not have a place in the above-sea-level portion of your place are welcome (if not encouraged!) to be on display in your basement bar. Let your old love seat live out its days in the cushy role of basement bar couch. Hopefully there’s a TV for sports and movie viewing or a record player to keep the tunes in rotation. That failing, hopefully there’s space for games like cribbage, shut the box, and bar dice.
Perhaps you go all out and decorate for the holiday season. Hell, if there’s room for a snack table and outlets for a Crockpot or two, it’s possible you even host your family holiday gatherings down there.
Maybe you’ve transformed your basement bar into an amazing tiki oasis.
Or a classic Irish pub. If it’s true to you, it’s tough to do a basement bar wrong.
When you’re in a Wisconsin basement bar, time doesn’t exist. Hours fly by. Bar close is merely a suggestion. Wood paneled walls and shaggy carpeted floors aren’t just acceptable, they’re preferred in order to suit the timeless, classic, and intentionally no-frills feel of the place.
Wisconsin basement bars are truly iconic and special places where people can walk down some stairs, travel back in time, hide away from the world for a while, and feel right at home because—in many cases—they are.