Pourman’s

This place is pretty cool. It is the first really fun/​packed bar that I went to in Milwaukee. I would recommend getting there on the early side (9:30 — 10) if you are going on the weekend and want to avoid the line.
The inside of the bar is super small, but there is a covered patio in the back which is great! There was a DJ back there the night that I visited, and it was super fun to just hang out and dance back there. The drinks were affordable, but pretty weak on the first pour. I had to ask the bartender to pour a little more alcohol into my drink, and he did without an issue, which was nice.
This is more laid back than Mc Gilly Cuddy’s which is right around the corner. I would recommend at least making a pit stop here to see the booths with the taps, if nothing else!

I might be judging Pourmans a little hard. They’re on water street and the neighbors aren’t the best. The taps at the couple of tables in the front is cool, but the system for getting them going is onerous and if you want more beer, it’s kind of annoying to get the attention of the keep. You can only do 64 ounces at a time, and with 4 people at the table, that’s 4 beers. The point of pouring at your table is not getting up. Not really my cup of tea, but you might dig it.

I have never heard of this place, until we met friends here about a week ago. It’s a super cute oasis amongst the douche-​muck of Water St. The space is small, too skinny for much of a crowd to comfortably gather. If we had been staying long, the booths are perfectly comfortable for 4, could probably smash 6 very friendly pals into. They have a setup where you can pour your own drafts (from about 4 choices) from each booth, which is pretty cool. I have never seen such an interesting self-​serve choice before. They’ve got a good selection of tap beers, as well as interesting cocktails. Prices are a bit high, but that’s probably because I’m a cheap old lady.
The bartender was extremely friendly, someone who would be great to chat with if you sat at the bar on a quieter night. Even when it started to get busy, he was attentive, handing over drinks quickly. He even messaged me on facebook right away when I left with the wrong credit card. Which would have been so helpful if I had checked my facebook messages from non-​friends right away (sadly, I did not).
Which brings me to the less desirable part of my experience here. Another bartender came in sometime when we were there, and when I asked to close my tab, she handed me a bill which seemed to be the right amount, I signed it and left with my card. It was not my card. In the dark bar, rushing to go, I hadn’t looked to see if I received the right card. That responsibility is on my, but I have never been given the wrong card before. I realized the mistake the next morning before leaving the state for the weekend, and left a voicemail at the bar. No one returned my call. When I posted a passive aggressive message on their facebook wall, the owner Ben replied with a very nice message, but was honestly not super helpful. I had already cancelled my card and ordered a new one.
I might head back if I’m forced to be on Water St for some reason, and I appreciate the efforts that were made. But I would hope that the bartenders will have been instructed not to return a dude’s credit card to a girl, and if they do, to effing return the customer’s call.

One star for the old fashion. Negative 4 for the rude bartender and brandy-​less sangria.

AMAZING bar! We had our rehearsal dinner here before our wedding and it was fabulous! Ben was so great and easy to work with. He absolutely started our wedding festivities on the right foot. He decorated the bar for us and made sure we had everything we needed for our guests. As a bride, it was so reassuring for me to know that everything for that day was taken care of. We were looking for a unique venue in Milwaukee and found it at Pourmans. I simply cannot say enough great things about this bar or the people that work there!

This is one of the coolest bars in Milwaukee. Great service, the owner is very personable. The draft serv system at the booths is one of the coolest features I’ve seen at a bar. Great specials that will appeal to everyone. Need to see at least once!

Fun concept with the beer tap on the tables, not something we are used to in Miami. Cozy and dark ambience, pretty cool spot!

I went there for a birthday shot and they gave me a free jolly rancher shot, then I asked for the same thing and they charged me for both. Then they’re like you guys I have to buy another one to make the 10 minimum for there credit limit. Even though 1 was free, so tricked me into getting 3 weak jolly rancher shots that want even strong.
Don’t go here for your birthday. Go somewhere else. Bartender didn’t even give us her name.

Favorite bar on Water, bar none (lol puns.) Clean, organized bar with fantastic staff and a very welcoming atmosphere fostered by the bartenders, owner, and patrons alike.
Small things make me appreciate businesses like this. I specifically remember (even though I was intoxicated) a bartender going out of his way to go into storage somewhere outside of the bar to get a drink I asked for that wasn’t on hand. The bartenders and the owner make an effort to remember their customers and make them feel welcome.
Unlike most establishments in Milwaukee, this bar doesn’t carry a «specific» group of patrons. From hipsters with a superior taste in music than you or I, to middle-​aged executives who look weird in their new Porsche, to your typical young college kids, this bar’ll have em all — and its fantastic.
I like the story of this place and I wish it nothing but success. I’ll continue to be a happy patron by getting drinks and shooting the shit with friends on their back patio. Keep doing your thing, Pourman’s.

Really great culture. Beer tastes better here. Great beer selection and knowledgable and polite bartenders. Great place to bring an out of towner.

The taps at your table are awesome, but we often find ourselves sitting at the bar chatting with the bartenders or on the back-​patio weather permitting. It’s the kind of place that you could roll into wearing sweats or dressed up for a cocktail before a show at the PAC. It’s a totally laid back place that I keep returning to every time I’m in Milwaukee. My kind of people, my kind of place.

Went here for the first time last night and was impressed with both the décor/​vibe as well as the whisky selection.
Prices weren’t super low but weren’t crazy either. Highly recommend, much better than any other place on Water.

Awesome bar! Taps right at your table! Nice size bar with out door seating. The taps are only at 3 or 4 booths & the bartender said they change types about once a month.
The service was great! The bartenders even opened the bar a few minutes early for us. They were very helpful & knowledgable about beer too!

If you want to drink an adult beverage for the taste you have reached heaven. Knowledgable bartenders with a great selection will create your alcoholic dreams all located right here in an amazing atmosphere.
The music is wisely and perfectly chosen. You will feel as if you found what you have never known you were looking to experience.
If you are looking to simply drink the pain away or drink because, this can also be your favorite choice. Don’t settle for the crap next door, come in and enjoy a tasty reason to drink past your curfew.
Don’t read any more. Go, now.
I say all this as a bartender from the great state of Texas. I might justice here.

Definitely number one on the list of Water St bars if I were to rate them. Bartenders were friendly, drinks were steady, ambiance was faux-​vintage, hipster cool that I can appreciate. The pay per oz taps are kitschy but fun. The vibe would bring me back here if I were a local.
Drinks: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Location: ⁴⁄₅

Would have given it a 5 if there had been more tables with taps. The beer selection was pretty good. They had Squatters Rising Hop, which is a favorite of mine after visiting Park City, Utah.
Noisy but fun bar. Would definitely go there again on my next trip to Milwaukee. Just going to go earlier to get a table.

After reading a great article about the owner of Pourman’s, I really wanted to like this place. When my friends and I walked in, literally not one of the staff members looked at us or said hello. I understand that happening if the bar is super busy, but there were only a couple people sitting at the bar. We walked through the whole bar, to their back patio, sat at the bar for a few minutes and then finally sat at one of their tables, before anyone even acknowledged we were there. After that, the owner finally took care of us, and he was super friendly and great.
I am not completely sold on the whole pour your own beer thing. The reason I go to bars is so that someone else can pour and make my drinks. But it is somehting different, and their prices are comparable to bars in the area. I do like the décor, with the dark wood and vintage vibe. I love the bar/​tables made out of pennies. Also the pretzels they give you while you drink are sooo good! I might come back just for those.
Overall I’m glad I tried this place, and I might come back if that’s where my friends wanted to go, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Small hipster-​ish, dive-​y bar on Water st.
The bar stands out among the rest of the bars on this street. It gives off a antique-​y, prohibition era vibe, although they are lacking a bit of defining décor for me to actually call it that. They had a cool touch-​screen beer tap in the front 3 tables, which were full when I went so I unfortunately did not get to try them…(those things were what caught my eye and what made me interested in going in) Apparently you choose you beer and how many oz you want and it dispenses it out for you… pretty neat idea. The owner (nice man) gave us drink specials… highball glass w/​whiskey & ginger for $ 5. Not bad… I’d call them $ 5 rails? Our group just chatted in the back and tossed up the drinks. They had a digital jukebox as well as a back patio.
Overall cool place to sit, chat, and drink if you’re in the area.

With a name like Pourman’s, one might expect that the proprietor of the establishment IS a Pourman. Like Bob Pourman, Margaret Pourman, Peter Pourman or something like that. Perhaps, too, Pourman is a first name a la Pourman Peterson or the late, great Pourman «Poor man» Paulson.
No. It’s not a name … at least don’t think so. Though, to be honest, I never did ask the owner his full name.
Pourman’s gets its name from an abridged sentence. As in «(You) pour, man!»
That’s right, it’s a pour your own pub. I think it’s a cool concept, however, for the life of me, I don’t know why. I mean, I’ve been in a lot of pubs in my life and never once did I wish, «Damn, if I only had my own tapper right now, everything would be just awesome!»
At a few tables there are 4 draught beers to choose from. During our visit the available selections were New Glarus’ Spotted Cow, Lakefront’s IPA, Sprecher’s Special Amber and (MillerCoors?) Pilsner Urquell. A decent selection that I believe should appeal to the sweet middle of most craft beer drinkers’ palates. I like that they concentrate on local stuff.
There were additional varieties behind the bar, but I never took a look to see what they were.
As far as how it works, it’s a little like filling up your car with gas. You buy in 64-​ounce increments, but you only pay for what you drink. In other words, if you only drink 63 ounces, you will pay 63/​64ths of the 64-​ounce price. Heck, I’ve made that too complicated … you only pay for 63 ounces.
Once you hit the 64-​ounce mark, you need to summon the bartender to hit reset and load you up with for another possible 64 ounces. This is done, presumably, to allow him or her to keep an eye on you an make sure you are not over-​serving yourself.
Egads. Like who would ever do that?
I like the place, and I think to sit there with a few buddies pouring your own would be kind of fun. I think the beers are a decent value too — our 2 rounds of 64 ounces (a gallon of beer!) came out to just over $ 40. The only beer of the 4 that carries a premium price is Pilsner Urquell. (BTW — Mom, if you are reading this, we didn’t drink the whole gallon ourselves. We had some friends join us for the 2^nd round of 64 ounces).
The only problem as I see it is that making a mess seems inevitable. Twice we had mishaps and poured beer on the table. The position of one’s body relative to the tap handles is not exactly an ideal one.
Nonetheless, Pourman’s is a nice place and if you are uncomfortable pouring your own, ask the barkeep — he’ll be sure to pour one to your liking, man. ;)

We decided to venture out of our comfort zone (Old World 3^rd) last night to try out the new joint in the old Fitzgibbon’s spot. I had read that they had a self tap system at tables, which intrigued me.
If you’re used to the Fitz vibe– it’s long gone, replaced by full length mirrors, a fancy new bar back, and a very cool copper bar. The owner was on hand, and between him and one bartender, they easily served the extra large capacity crowd.
People were trying their hand at pouring their own drinks. We did not partake, but probably will in the future. Three booths all sported a very cool looking touch screen mounted underneath four table top tappers. Pilsener Urquell is the only one I could see (Probably because it’s one of my faves) Anyway, the bartender explained that the price is per ounce, and sure enough, whenever someone would pour a beer, the screen would count the ounces. Neat-​o.
Just a few tiny complaints, Pilsner Urquell is not available at the bar, only at the tables. Also, the Cabernet Sauvignon which was advertised as their «chalk board» special, was being held chilled in a cooler. Meh–
For what it’s worth, we will definitely be back if we can weather the obnoxious behavior on Water to get there.