The Third Ward: A Neighborhood, a Cocktail, a Second Act

Walk the cobblestone streets of Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward today, and you will find galleries, theaters, boutiques, and lofts. The neighborhood hums with creativity, its brick warehouses repurposed into coffee shops and studios. But not long ago, the Third Ward was a working-class district marked by grit and resilience. Immigrants filled its factories, ships docked at its warehouses, and communities rebuilt after devastating fires. It is a place defined by second chances.

The cocktail that bears its name tells that story in liquid form. The Third Ward blends Old Forester bourbon, vanilla bean demerara, Angostura bitters, an orange peel, and an amaro cherry. It is a drink with depth, complexity, and balance, echoing the neighborhood’s character. 

Bourbon lays the foundation, strong and straightforward. Vanilla bean demerara softens the edges, bringing warmth and richness, much like the way artists and residents softened the old industrial shell of the neighborhood into something new. Angostura bitters and orange peel add brightness and contrast, reminding us that reinvention never comes without bite. And the amaro cherry at the finish is both sweet and slightly bitter, the small flourish that lingers after the last sip.

The choice of bourbon here is deliberate. Old Forester was one of the first bourbons sold in sealed bottles, a marker of consistency during a time when quality was uncertain. It speaks to a steady backbone, a willingness to endure. Vanilla, meanwhile, signals comfort and warmth. Together, they create a cocktail that honors both strength and softness, the same balance found in the Third Ward’s story.

Wisconsin has always celebrated places like this: neighborhoods that reinvent themselves while keeping history alive. The Third Ward is not polished into forgetfulness. Its brick and timber remain, scarred but standing, housing new life inside. The cocktail shares that same philosophy. It is not overly fussy or extravagant. It is grounded, approachable, but with enough character to keep you leaning in.

At Baraboo Supper Club in Boise, The Third Ward is a way to toast resilience. It speaks to the Wisconsin idea that you can start again, that grit and creativity are not opposites but partners. Each sip carries bourbon’s backbone, vanilla’s warmth, citrus’s spark, and cherry’s bittersweet finish. It is a reminder that stories of reinvention are often the ones worth savoring.

So, raise a glass. To the neighborhood reborn, to the people who made it so, and to the cocktail that carries its spirit far beyond Milwaukee’s streets. 

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Food Pairing:

The Third Ward + Crispy Skin Icelandic Salmon

Resilience, reimagined. The Third Ward’s bourbon backbone and vanilla sweetness complement salmon’s crisp skin and truffled onion sauce. It is grit and grace in equal measure, a toast to reinvention.