#47 - The Bear and Bottle Drackenberg's Cigar Bar

 A foray into Maple Bluff.  The Bear and Bottle sprung up out of nowhere in a shiny new building.  They had a nice long bar and a fancy beer list.

Somehow you can smoke here as long as you call whatever it is you are smoking a cigar.   Also, creepy people like this place.  I saw a guy with dreads that dragged on the floor behind him when he walked.

#42 - The Greenbush Bar, Buckinghams

 Our second time at the Greenbush, but I think our first official visit.  The Greenbush is awesome.

 Great food, great atmosphere, great bar..  Protip: GO TO THERE

This is all you need to know about Buckingham's.  We were there for Hammertime, so that was nice.

It should be stated that this place does have a lineage.  When I moved to Madison it was locate just off the north side of the square and was called Buck's.  I remember they used to have a sign outside that said "Madison Square Garden".  Sadly I never paid a visit.

#38 - Licari's Tavern, Alt N' Bach's

 What can you expect from a dive by Fish Hatch and the Belt?

Alt N' Bach's is kind of amazing.  Totally hidden, yet full of people.  Comfy up north feel.  Curds.

#33 - The Shamrock, The Paradise, Genna's

 The Shamrock is a kind of a gay dive bar right off the square.  If you didn't know coming in that it was a gay bar it would be easy to miss it though.

 The Paradise is a great and long-standing dive right off the square.  Try the Paradise Burger.

It was a beautiful Spring night, so we capped things off outside at Genna's.  This is probably the third time we've been to Genna's since we started up, but I think that only speaks to the place this bar holds in the pantheon of Madison taverns.

#32 - The Badger Tavern

The old Tony Franks is the New Badger Tavern.  It's a mixed bag.  They kept it open and cleaned it up, but sometimes it seems a little too clean.  But I withhold judgement until I've had a few beers on the patio this summer.  Then we'll see.

#31 - The Irish Pub, The Capital Tap Haus, The Ivory Room

 We returned to the Irish Pub an oasis of civility on State Street, and also a dive.

 Then we wandered the street looking for adventure.  We finally settled on the Ivory Room, but were told that there was a cover... but the cover was waived if you go next door to the Capital Tap Haus and bring back a receipt for a beer.  So next thing we knew we found ourselves at the Cap Tap (I just made that up).  Strangely the place was packed (as was Buck and Badger next door) and everyone was paying this bizarre trivial game that was blasting over the PA.  Anyway...

We did make it to the Ivory Room and it was surprisingly quite enjoyable.

Pro Tip:  The ladies love the Ivory Room

#27 - One Barrel Brewery, Alchemy, The Ideal Bar

One Barrel Brewery

A loud hipster vibe place.  The beer is ok I guess. 

Protip: You probably don't want the lambic.

Alchemy

The burgers are great.

Maybe invest in some AC or open a window or something.

The Ideal Bar

In many ways it lives up to its name.  It's a bar.  It's kind of a dive, yet the tap selections are oddly appealing.  The juke box selection was quite enjoyable.  What more could you want? 

 

Pool?  Of course.

#16 - The Wisco

I'd been wanting to choose the Wisco since all this started.  The Wisco has it all.  It's a dive bar, with outdoor seating in a great part of town.  It's even got pretty decent burgers judging by what the guy next to me was eating.

I've been going to the Wisco for 15 years or so.  When I first moved to the tavern it had the reputation as being an honest to goodness biker bar.  Then the owner kicked the bikers out an took down all the motorcycle pictures.  Still, the clientele is often a little rough around the edges.

#1 - The Plaza & The Silver Dollar

2/21/2013 - The inaugural meeting of the tavern club.

The Plaza.  319 N. Henry Street

• Excellent beer specials
• Plaza burgers

 

The Silver Dollar.  117 W Mifflin Street 

• Shuffleboard
• Dive bar ambiance

Bylaws (Established 2/21/2003):
 
Charter Membership:  Delaware, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico

Section 1:  Membership
1.1 -  Membership is limited to the number of United States plus territorial possessions.
1.2 -  Nominations for membership must be seconded and approved by a unanimous vote.
1.3 -  Membership is mostly secret.
1.4 -  Spouses of existing members are not eligible for membership.


Section 2:  Meetings
2.1 - Meetings shall take place at taverns in the Madison area.
2.2 - Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month.
2.3 - Meeting locations are chosen based on the following rotation:

1. Delaware- March
2. Idaho - April
3. Montana - May
4. New Mexico - June

2.4 -  The location of the next meeting must be decided before the close of proceedings at the current meeting.
2.5 -  A 2/3 vote of the complete membership is required to veto a meeting location.

Section 3:  Guidelines
3.1 -  Graze is not a tavern.
3.2 -  The guidelines on meeting locations can be loosened for special occasions when the group feels like it.