As if Milwaukee bar-goers aren’t cold enough hopping from tavern to tavern in the winter, 23 tons of ice will be used to construct outdoor ice bars at St. Paul Fish Company, Cafe Benelux and The Wicked Hop, all located on Broadway and St. Paul Avenue in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.
The three ice creations, holding 150 blocks of ice, will open on Gallery Night on Jan. 19 to kick off the Third Ward’s Toast to Winter event— weather permitting, of course.
“I think its a great opportunity for Milwaukeeans to get outside and embrace our winter,” Patrick Nedobeck of St. Paul Fish said. “As Milwaukee is a city of festivals, I hope to have this seen in the future as the first festival of the year.”
Max Zuleta, Guinness World Record holder and master carver at Franksville-based ice sculpture studio Art Below Zero, will construct the ice bars, each with signature features including a 3-D lion bloody Mary ice luge and an ice bier wall at Cafe Benelux, and a dynamic ice wall at St. Paul Fish Company.
The three restaurants will donate a portion of its proceeds from the ice bar features to local charities. Cafe Benelux will benefit Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, St. Paul Fish Company will benefit Fisher House Foundation and Wicked Hop will benefit ALS Association and Wisconsin Humane Society.
Last January, Art Below Zero installed St. Paul Fish’s ice bar that consisted of ice blocks built around its outdoor bar area along the Public Market’s Broadway side.
Nedobeck said St. Paul Fish plans to keep its ice bar running for as long possible– again, weather permitting. He said Cafe Benelux and The Wicked Hop will likely do the same.
“I am praying for temperatures right around 30 for several weeks,” Nedobeck said.
