Ever find yourself just hankerin' for a drink at 8 am? If you're in Wisconsin you sure as shit would. It's not clear what happens when you cross that bridge from Minnesota, but it changes a person. On the winning end of a 10-0 girl's hockey game at 8 A.M., and not really wanting to stick around to see the end of the game, the Dads obviously took to our phones to find the nearest drinking establishment. Strikers was a very short walk from the arena and seemed like a good option. Walk in to find quite a large crowd of regulars bellied up to the bar. It felt like we stepped back in time about 50 years. Just a shining example of the kind of place your old man may have frequented in his younger days. He'd order whiskey after whiskey after whiskey while trying to figure out how to juggle a wife, work, money, and that disappointment of a son you've become. Bloody Marys all around. While not the best one I've had, it was damn tasty and came with a spicy pickled asparagus spear, plenty of olives, and a little kick to it. Pick your chaser. Nothing was on special. Nothing fruity. Nothing fancy. Didn't need it nor want it. Beer, liquor, served in the same glass they used 75 years ago. Bottom line is the 'tender was fantastically nice, as were the patrons. The drinks were cheap and stiffer than you were on Prom night. Atmosphere outstanding. I'm sure there's hundreds and hundreds of other fine examples of your hometown Wisconsin bar like this one, but this one struck me as particularly inspirational. Oh, and we could walk there quickly. read more

Strikers Bar - Bloody Mary. Spicy asparagus spear. Delicious. Middle America goodness - Superior, Wisconsin