Milwaukee has a lot of dive bars. We have a German dive bar. We have Mexican dive bars. And we even have a Japanese dive bar.

Red Maple, 100 W. Maple St., opened in 2023. Robin Koutecky, who also owns Clementine’s Tavern in Bay View, bought the building that formerly housed Ollie’s Tavern – along with two adjoining properties in 2022 – and renovated the entire space. 

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Although Red Maple preserves the friendly, neighborhood feel of a corner tap, the exterior and interior is artistically exquisite. Japanese street art, red couches, waving cats, thousands of flowers dangling from the ceiling and spectacular murals of dragons and peacocks surround a belly-up bar with comfy seating and a massive, diverse drink menu.

Eric Cieplensky has served as a lead bartender since the beginning and contributed to the cocktail menu.

“I had a big hand in the menu, but honestly, it’s a collaborative effort by everybody,” he says. 

Red Maple cocktails are based on classic American cocktails, but with an Asian twist. The most popular drink on the menu, Japanese Cherry Old Fashioned, is mixed with Japanese Nikka Days whiskey – as opposed to traditional brandy or bourbon – house-made cherry blossom simple syrup, cherry bitters and bing cherries.

The cocktail menu also features a Japanese Bloody Mary, Cherry Blossom Margarita and more. The Kyota Colada – a play on a pina colada – is  made with Bacardi Limon, Midori, coconut cream, pineapple juice and Sprite – and the Princess Peach Sakemosa includes house saki, peach schnapps, cranberry and pink lemonade. It's garnished, aptly, with a candy peach ring.

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Red Maple has more than 30 kinds of sake – the largest selection in the city – and offers a Sake Club that encourages patrons to try new sakes and, in doing so, become eligible to win prizes. There's also a large selection of Japanese seltzers and beers. Zero-proof cocktails are also available.

During our visit, a couple ordered a rum and Coke and a High Life – and that’s perfectly acceptable at Red Maple.

“This is Milwaukee afterall,” says Cieplensky.

Cieplensky also encourages people to come into the bar to learn about sake and other Asian beverages. “I get customers who come in all the time and say they don’t know how to order sake, and we start with the basics and go from there,” he says.

Red Maple hosts movies and video games on Tuesdays; karaoke every other Wednesday; live music every Thursday; and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays. “There is always something going on in here,” says Cieplensky.

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Within the next six months, Cieplensky, his business partner Corey Tones, and Koutecky will open a food truck, Curry Cat MKE, that will have a permanent parking spot in front of the tavern. The food offerings will be “Asian inspired comfort food with a Milwaukee bar twist,” including Korean BBQ pulled pork sliders, Japanese-style meatballs and more.

Numerous members of the Red Maple staff have a strong history working with food and have won myriad first-place awards at events including Milwaukee Record’s Casserole Call, Rockabilly Chili, Nomad World Pub’s soup competition and more. The bar has also won numerous drink awards, including Best Bloody Mary.

It's impossible to compare Red Maple to another Milwaukee bar. It is a unique mix of cultures that attracts people from all corners of life. Cieplensky says that's because Koutecky is at the root of it.

“Robin deserves every ounce of credit,” says Cieplensky. “She pushes us to be the best, most creative versions of ourselves and is willing to try anything."

Red Maple is open Sunday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Follow Red Maple on Instagram and Facebook.

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