An additional venue has officially been announced for the Entertainment Block adjacent to Fiserv Forum. Wisconsin lifestyle brand Drink Wisconsinbly will open a pub at 320 W. Highland Ave. in a 3,500-square foot space.
Drink Wisconsinbly also maintains a pub at 135 E. National Ave.; however, that location will be closing at the end of the year (read more on that here).
"We are incredibly excited and proud to be bringing our flagship DW Pub to the Entertainment Block," said John Casanova, president of Wisconsinbly Holdings and Drink Wisconsinbly Beverage Company LLC, noting that the brand will maintain a similar look and feel to the Walker's Point location, including an emphasis on celebrating Wisconsin culture.
The venue, which Casanova describes as a "mercantile pub," will offer the brand the unique opportunity to launch a true brick-and-mortar retail shop where they plan to sell a wide variety of Drink Wisconsinbly merchandise, including wearables and an expanded catalog of items including Bluetooth speakers and throw rugs.
The venue will not have a full kitchen; however Casanova expects that the pub will offer simple fare, potentially including things like cheese curds and pizza.
"We certainly want it to take the presence that we’ve set in Walker’s Point and expand on that," notes Casanova. "The location is bigger than our space in Walker’s Point, so we’ll capitalize on that. Instead of one bubbler serving old fashioneds, we’ll have two."
The beer garden at the Fiserv Forum Entertainment Block opened this fall; the development will also include Punch Bowl Social and Good City Brewing Co. is slated to open in spring of 2019.
"We are pleased to expand our relationship with Drink Wisconsinbly to include an establishment in the Entertainment Block," said Michael Belot, senior vice president of Bucks Ventures and Development. "Drink Wisconsinbly and its memorable Wisconsin offerings will be instrumental in making the Entertainment Block as a must-go destination."
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.