Eric B.
Yelp
The Walkin is a chill, no frills neighborhood bar with a funky soundtrack and superb classic cocktails. Why did it take me so long to get here? With time, and whiskey therapy, I hope to find it in me to forgive myself.
At the top of their drink menu they hype a Milwaukee Old Fashioned, and you could go that route, if you must, but I advise against it, especially if Coleman is your bartender. He makes a superb classic Old Fashioned, just bourbon, bitters and orange peel - none of that muddled fruit paste. Try it, you'll like it.
Coleman's skills don't end at the Old Fashioned, though. He has a great Manhattan series going on.
I started with the Rittenhouse Rye, as it is a superb rye for a Manhattan, and it was great - spicy and earthy.
He also makes a Black Manhattan, which swaps in Averna Amaro for the vermouth. I feel like we are lost cocktail brothers, as that's one of my favorite Manhattan variations, and he knocks it out of the park. If you want to double down on bitter flavors and sideswipe sweet notes, its a great way to go.
(I personally call that drink the Black Bush, in homage to Dave Chappelle's skit, so if you hear Coleman referring to it as such, I'm humbled and honored to add to the mystique of the Walkin.)
If you want to go the other direction and ease off on the spicy and bitter notes of rye and Averna, go with his house Manhattan, with Redemption Bourbon. It is mellower, but still nicely complex, for Redemption, being a high rye bourbon, gives you a gentle hit of spice.
Oh, what's that? You like gin? So does Kelly! Coleman will mix up a great Last Word or Aviation. He's got you covered.
On our visit, the music on the speakers was mostly soul and R&B, and it was good. DJ's play there later in the evenings. We had a great time and will definitely be back. You should stop by. In a rare moment of Truth in Advertising, they ARE friendly as f#ck.