Sugar Maple

shivtim

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

While visiting a friend in Milwaukee, we made sure to swing by Sugar Maple to have a couple of drinks. It's in kind of a mixed hipstery neighborhood, but the clientelle ranged from 20 somethings to some gentlemen in their 50s. The space is nice - big open room with a very long curving bar and some random couch/table seating areas. They have a ping pong table outside too. We happened to visit when there was a random sausage fextival on the street outside. And yes, it was literally called "sausage fest." Nice bit of local color.

We grabbed a spot at the bar and were welcomed by the friendly bartender. Selection was very solid. Lots of choices, and especially a lot of American micros on draft. Bartender offered up some suggestions on local and regional beers to try. They also have sampler sizes if you don't want to commit to the whole pint. Everything I tried seemed fresh. This is a definite place to stop when in Milwaukee.

09-24-2012 12:43:57 | More by shivtim

midworken

Nebraska

4.23/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Atmosphere - Walked in around 9pm to grab a couple of drinks with my brother while I was visiting. The crowd was pretty light - was expecting that at this time of the night. Very relaxed and intimate atmosphere - couches with dim lighting made up the majority of the seating.

Quality - very good. Had some great beers on tap.

Service - Not so bad - we were standing by the bar for some time to order our drinks, while the bar hop just stood there and watched everybody. He could have been a bit more helpful or atleast ensured us that service was coming.

Selection - 60 different beers on tap... never seen it before! Was really great to have that amount of selection, however, the first beer I ordered was listed as a triple. It definitely was too hoppy for a triple and thank-goodness the brewery rep was actually there and said it was an IPA. After that, we went over to the rep and tried out some of the small-batch brews that he was handing out some tastings of. After that point, we drank for free!

05-31-2012 01:11:39 | More by midworken

bashiba

Iowa

4.3/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$

We Really enjoyed our visit to Sugar Maple. It had a great selection of beers with 60 Tap Handles and 2 Casks. They were almost all American Craft beers with several being some more obscure Wisconsin beers.

The Bartender was a bit slow as he was the only one working, but when he had time to chat he seemed very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful.

For Food they only have 2 soups, they were both good, but it didn't sit real well with me.

Prices were very acceptable for the quality of beers they had.

03-26-2012 13:30:13 | More by bashiba

DersOne

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Overall an excellent craft beer bar, and one of my favorite Milwaukee spots to go on a night out.

Atmosphere: this place is right up my alley. It's a bit dark, typically with indie rock playing, and a an "older" crowd (i.e. 30's and up). The bar has a collection of eclectic local artwork that suits the vibe well, and an extremely large bar that takes a note from the plethora of local bowling lanes. Many tables are available outside of the bar, and the seating is comfortable.

There is also a small music venue at the rear of the bar that showcases local artists and comedians, and ping-pong tables on an outside patio during the summer.

In all, it seems like the owner really cares about the neighborhood based on the bar's styling, which is refreshing.

Quality: technically well done on most levels. The bar area is usually extremely clean, as are the bathrooms. Beer is poured in an appropriate serving glass to the style of beer selected, and to the proper amount for the style and strength of beer.

Service: a bit slow at times, but the bartenders are friendly and generally knowledgeable about what's on tap and can make recommendations if you tell them the style you're after that evening. I've yet to have a bad experience here.

Selection: in general the selection is great, although they don't typically have some of the small batch or seasonal brews that would make the selection "excellent". With 60 beers on tap, you are sure to find something appealing to all tastes, and I do like that they have two nitro pulls at most times, even firkins depending on the time of year.

Food: they only serve soup, but this is some mean soup! I've had the curry chicken and white chili before, and both were delicious, served in a portion that was just right, with a few slices of tasty bread on the side.

Value: prices are extremely reasonable and on par with what I would expect "bar prices" to be compared to a liquor store.

02-29-2012 15:02:28 | More by DersOne

siknessinwi

Wisconsin

4.94/5  rDev +11.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Easily the best beer bar in Milwaukee, and one of the best in the country.

60 drafts(plus 2 beer engines), all American craft beer. No Bud, No Miller, no bs. Drafts focus on Midwest breweries (Three Floyds, Founders, Bells, New Glarus, etc.) but have offerings from some of the best across the country. The menu is constantly changing and always offers a varied selection of great beers.

They recently expanded their bottle selection (mostly bombers/750s) including Arctic Panzer Wolf and Fin du Monde, amongst others.

They also offer a very large liquor selection(200+ bottles), specializing in bourbon(50-60).

All things were reasonably priced, and served in the appropriate glassware.

Staff was very friendly and exceptionally knowledgeable. Service can get slow, but they always do their best to keep up with a very large bar and seating area.

The music and atmosphere is as varied and interesting as the beer selection. This place is a must for any beer fan and is worth any distance you have to travel.

02-27-2012 23:08:21 | More by siknessinwi

EnJeiBee

Wisconsin

4.36/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is one of the best craft beer bars in Milwaukee! The selection is great and the prices aren't off the charts.

As others have noted, the lighting is a little low, but it's not a problem. My only complaint is that a lot of the seating isn't very comfortable. Many of the chairs are more like patio furniture with padding than indoor lounge seats. Other than that the atmosphere is great!

I'm also a big fan of the location. It's not in the heart of downtown where it's impossible to find parking. There are a decent amount of restaurants and bars in the surrounding area. All in all, it's a great spot to stop for an unusual brew or for an entire evening.

11-30-2011 02:11:38 | More by EnJeiBee

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.14/5  rDev -6.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Incredible selection and a sizeable area with a large bar and several tables. For a late weekday, a lot of drinkers still ample room. Tons of bottles and taps I never tried. Low though not impossible lighting. Reasonable prices in a city that does not overcharge. Everything served at appropriate temperatures and glassware. A tad harder than other places to get service, which is still much better than most cities. Ample parking places. Had way too much beer. Highly recommended, even if you drive for hours.

09-05-2011 13:05:42 | More by northyorksammy

nickd717

California

4.47/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Stopped by here after a wedding in Wisconsin and I have to say I was very impressed. This place sports a very respectable 60 taps, and among them you’re bound to find some excellent options. New Glarus, Three Floyds, Bell’s, Founders, and several local breweries were well-represented on the tap list. Nothing was extremely rare, but if you’re complaining about stuff like Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Unplugged beers, and limited local stuff on tap, you’ve probably become a bit too jaded. They offer flights of 4 six-ounce pours for $12, which is money if you’re a ticker.

The hipster bartender was a nice guy who gave great service and knew beer very well. No complaints there. The ambiance is really great. Lots of space with comfortable seating, nice decor, and a good outdoor area with picnic tables and a ping (not beer) pong table. Overall this is a bar Milwaukee should be proud of. Don’t miss it if you’re in town - you really have no excuse as it’s right next to I-94, I-43, and the airport.

08-08-2011 22:40:48 | More by nickd717

htomsirveaux

Texas

4.22/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in here for after dinner beers with ratatat and S on 22 Jul 2011, about 10 pm.

After carding the late 20s couple in front of us, the bouncer didn't even look our way as we entered, we must be getting old.

Bar was maybe a third full when we arrived. Plenty of seating, we went to the recycled church pew by the front. Fairly dark inside and quiet. Lots of artwork on the walls that appeared to be original.

Advertised 60 beers on tap; it seemed like there were that many on the menu. Lots of WI locals, Tyranena, New Glarus, Lakefront, as well as others from around the region. I had the Nebraska Hop God as I had never seen it before, quite tasty. They had flights as well, four 6 oz. pours for $12.

Oddly, the only food they had (we went looking for some kind of bar snacks) was a curry soup. So bring your own snacks if you are hungry for something else.

07-27-2011 02:51:14 | More by htomsirveaux

Gtreid

Florida

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I go to Milwaukee at least 3 times a year and probably spend a month of my year there, and I had never been to sugar maple until last week.

We went on a Tuesday night, probably not the best time to go for socializing, but atleast I got to try some good beer. The place was rather dark, but kinda had that laid back lounge feel. The bartenders were nice and knowledgable and ready to serve.

The beer selection was great. We didn't spend much time there, but I wish I could've bellied up to that bar all night. Lots of Wisconsin locals and the selection really fit the season. Lots of ipa's, pale ales, and Belgians.

They serve soup, which I found a bit odd. I didn't have any but my brother in law said it was good. All in all I thought this place was very cool, and it's a place I will definately visit again.

07-26-2011 12:39:17 | More by Gtreid