Nightlife in Oshkosh

Inside Art Bar, hundreds of soda-bottle caps crate an argyle pattern on pillars, wine corks stud an oval-shaped bar, and paint-by-number pieces plaster a wall, depicting everything from horses to Jesus. The aesthetic is kitschy—absurd, sentimental, theatrical—and it offers a glimpse into the creative mind of owner Don Crause. Formerly an interior designer for Ethan Allen, Crause left the position to brave the trials of being a small-business owner in Riverwest. Today, his bar pours more than 40 microbrews by night and Alterra coffee by day in a space adorned with the rotating creations of local artists. The beer lineup includes seasonal brews from Bell’s, Founders, Lakefront, and New Glarus, as well as “mystery beers” served for two bucks or so in a crumpled brown bag. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel describes the venue as “a feast for all senses,” and “one of the hottest spots in Riverwest,” noting that newcomers who attend the bar’s comedy, musical, or artistic events “might want to have a date to match.”

The bottles that make up Thief Wine's diverse inventory are not stolen, but they may as well be. The shop's name—a reference to the long tube or "barrel thief" used to sample maturing wines waiting to be bottled—reflects the air of mischief shoppers experience in encounters with otherwise inaccessible wines that makes each of the shop's selections feel like the product of a thrilling cellar heist. The fruits of proprietors Phil Bilodeau and Aimee Murphy's careful wine curation decorate the walls of Thief Wine's two locations with more than 500 selections, which mix familiar labels with artisanal up-and-comers from around the globe. At each location's wine bar, certified sommeliers pare down the hulking inventory to about 30 essential bottles, which slosh into thematic tasting flights or full glasses to flank small plates of cheese and charcuterie.

Don’t let the shepherd's pie, fish 'n' chips, and draft beers fool you. Though Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery snatches up the best cultural fragments of Scotland, England, and the Emerald Isle, the eatery started in Las Vegas. Restaurateur Mark DiMartino sought to combine the communal, rousing feel of pubs in the British Isles with the campy fun of American sports bars, pairing hearty food and traditional trappings with televisions and waitresses clad in mini kilts and alluring plaid halter-tops modeled after William Wallace’s eveningwear.

Since its founding, Tilted Kilt locations have popped up in 25 states and two Canadian provinces, serving all manner of hybrid dishes such as the Scottish cheese steak, the Sloppy Jane made with sliced turkey or shaved rib eye, and the Tilted Guilt, an ice-cream sundae perched atop a cookie.

Milwaukee Ale House echoes with notes of live music and the laughter of pub goers, but the building is also the site of serious work. Beyond a pair of glass doors, the pub's stainless steel fermentation tanks bubble with Milwaukee Brewing Company's creations. When they're ready, these beers make the short leap from brew room to bar tap, forming a beverage selection that Esquire described as, "plentiful and tasty, complementing the top-notch food."

The menu sports a convenient pairing chart that helps diners match prime rib, pulled-pork sandwiches, and spicy beef-and-chorizo burgers to house brews. Ideal with chicken, Louie's Demise exudes the smooth maltiness of a typical amber ale but with a balanced kick of Perle and Tettnanger hops, A meat-and-potatoes porter, the Admiral Stache ages for one month in bourbon barrels, lending a toasty vanilla flavor to subtle notes of milk chocolate and dried fruit.

Situated in the heart of the Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee Ale House's century-old building provides the main dining room and patio areas with waterside views of the Milwaukee River. The pub's decor exudes its own historic charm with exposed brick, a scattering of empty wooden barrels, and vintage beer signs. When live bands aren't performing, focus turns back to the bar area, where the taps form an ornate centerpiece built to resemble a copper-topped wooden vat. Around the vat hang white mugs belonging to members of the Mug Club and office workers who "got lost" during their coffee break.

Located in Milwaukee's trendy warehouse district, the Victorian-era building that houses Shaker's Cigar Bar has gone through several iterations. The property began as a cooperage to store Schlitz beer in 1894, and went onto become a Prohibition-era speakeasy and brothel; it was during that time that a bordello girl was murdered in the penthouse suite. Paranormal researchers and the proprietor himself maintain that Shaker's bustles with otherworldly regulars. At 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday–Friday, groups of 13 or fewer tour takers explore the old building, from the basement below to the former brothel.

On the main floor of Shaker's Cigar Bar and Palm Garden Restaurant, guests can belly up to the brass-topped front bar for a libation, such as a snifter of 132-year-old cognac paired with a Dominican cigar from the basement humidor. Bartenders, called Shakers and Shakerettes, also serve up period-style absinthe cocktails at the carved-oak back bar. The drinkery's tin ceilings and tin-relief walls sigh with age as they long for new hearts, and antique stained glass and hardwood maple floors round out the time-displaced decor, transporting patrons to a bygone era.