In this post we will be breaking down drinking at the best bars in Madison. Whether you are looking for a tall glass of beer, a shot of vodka, to buy cheaper liquor during drink specials, or just to sing some karaoke hopefully we can assist.
Our first section will cover the best wine and cocktail bars in Madison. Up next we will get into breweries and sports bars where you can watch the big game or maybe play some pool and throw some darts.
Contents
Then we will mention some of the best drink specials near you so you can hit up the right bars at the right times to do your drinking cheaper. After that we will discuss bars with trivia, quiz, and/or game nights in your area.
Lastly we will talk about bars for dancing, karaoke, and to listen to live music. Towards the end there will even be a local bar map that pins all of the spots from our various lists on it.
And if you want to compare the scene here to others around the Midwest you can do so at that link.
Cocktail & Wine Bars
Some of the top cocktail and wine bars in Madison are:
- Merchant Madison at 121 S Pinckney St
- The Robin Room at 821 E Johnson St
- Le Tigre Lounge at 1328 S Midvale Blvd
- Dvino at 116 King St
Madison Breweries & Sports Bars
Sample new suds and watch the big game with your friends at the best local breweries and sports bars:
- The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company at 123 E Doty St
- Vintage Brewing Co at 674 S Whitney Way
- Pooleys Sports Bar at 5441 High Crossing Blvd
- Echo Tap and Grill at 554 W Main St
- Jordans Big 10 Pub at 1330 Regent St
- Players Sports Bar at 2013 Winnebago St
Pooleys is a great sports bar near you to watch the big game.
For nearly 70 years Echo Tap has been serving one of the city’s largest tap beer selections plus they have a full spirits bar where you can create your own cocktails and tasty food.
Jordan’s Big 10 is famous for its Friday fish fry which includes battered cod, catfish po’boy sandwiches, grilled salmon, butterfly shrimp, and breaded bluegills served with soup, salad, potato chips, onion rings, baked potato, potato pancakes, or traditional French fries. There are a total of twenty beers on tap and in bottles and is a nice place to tailgate before, during, and after Wisconsin football games.
Local Drink Specials
Visit these bars with drink specials near you to buy cheaper alcohol and your wallet will thank you:
- Genna’s Lounge at 105 W Main St
- Vintage at 529 University Ave
If you want to buy cheap alcoholic drinks in Madison visit Genna’s Lounge from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
There are also local drink specials at Vintage Bar from 3pm to 5pm.
Trivia, Quiz & Game Nights
Here is a good list of bars with trivia, quiz, and game nights in your area:
- The Brass Ring at 701 E Washington Ave
- Echo at 554 W Main St
- Wipremier Trivia
- Blue Moon at 2535 University Ave
- Geeks Mania at 6502 Odana Rd
On Wednesday and Thursday nights at 7pm Brass Ring hosts bar trivia in Madison.
Echo Tap has pub trivia on every Thursday night while also serving foods, appetizers, and desserts.
Blue Moon Bar has a local craft beer pinball league that meets on every 1st and 3rd Wednesday.
Geeks Mania offers arcade games, pool table, and pinball table games in their bar.
Dance, Karaoke & Live Music
Anyone that wants to dance, listen to live music, and sing karaoke can head to:
- Crucible at 3116 Commercial Ave
- Liquid at 624 University Ave
- The Ohio Tavern at 224 Ohio Ave
- Five NIghtclub at 5 Applegate Crt
- Redrock at 222 W Gorham St
- Come Back In at 508 E Wilson St
- Ivory Room & Piano at 116 W Mifflin St
Crucible is a great place to find dance parties featuring live music and experimental art that will make you feel alive.
Liquid has become nationally recognized as one of the top college town electronic dance music venues anywhere in the country.
Every Saturday night at 8pm The Ohio Tavern hosts local cosmic star karaoke while also serving food and beverages.
Karaoke and drag queen bingo are available at Five Nightclub who also has drink specials near you every day at 4pm.
Redrock and Come Back both have live music in their bar every Friday night.
Ivory Room Piano Bar offers live music from Tuesday to Saturday from 8pm to 2am.
You might also want to read our posts on:
- Pub Quiz & Trivia Nights In Milwaukee
- Pub Quiz & Trivia Nights In Chicago
- Pub Quiz & Trivia Nights In Minneapolis & St Paul
- Pub Quiz & Trivia Nights In St Louis
Have Fun Drinking At The Best Bars In Madison
After reading all of that you should have a much better understanding of what is available near you. There are plenty of local wine and cocktail bars, breweries to watch sports at, places with good drink specials to save money, trivia, quiz, and game nights, as well as bars to listen to live music, dance, and sing karaoke in your area.
If you think we got anything incorrect or notice us listing any venues that are no longer open please tell us in the comments so we can keep this info as up to date as possible. Now go have fun drinking at the best bars in Madison.
