#88 Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before or not but I've made it my life goal to visit every bar on The Growler List: 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die. I consider it to be my bucket list of sorts since I don't have a real bucket list. I LOVE a good beer and so many of these bars are in places that I'd like to visit so it's a no-brainer. I've only visited a few of the bars on the daunting this so far so this past weekend I decided to take a trip off the beaten path and visit #88 on the list, Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern, located in Monroe, Wisconsin. 

For anyone that doesn't know where Monroe, Wisconsin is located don't feel embarrassed. I had know idea where it was and I've lived in Wisconsin but after a quick Google Maps search I found Monroe to be about an hour from the IL-WI border and was on my way...
 

 

This is what most of the drive to Monroe looked like...lots and lots of farms and open space.

 Made it! The store in located on Monroe's town square.

Baumgartner’s has two maps that dominate one of its main walls - one of the US and one of the world. They will give you a pin to stick in the map to mark where you are from.

 I was amazed to see how far people had come to visit Baumgartner’s! It's a small world!

 Baumgartner’s is covered in signs filled with funny quotes. This one in particular "unattended children will be given a shot and a free puppy" was my personal favorite. 

 I have no idea why the ceiling was covered in dollar bills...

 The tavern is of Swiss origin so it has a big map of Switzerland with all of its cantons listed. 

 That's me with my beer! I chose a New Glarus Spotted Cow, a Wisconsin favorite.

 

Since it's a tavern AND cheese shop I thought it was only fitting that I purchased a cheese plate to go along with my beer.

I liked Baumgartner’s so much that I bought one of their t-shirts and posed with one of the animal statues on the town square. :)

The Map Room

The Map Room in Chicago is rated number 47 on the 125 Places to Drink a Beer Before You Die. I did not know this when I happened into the travel-theme Bucktown tavern over a year ago but I can definitely see why  - especially since it has consistently ranked as one of my favorite bars in Chicago.

The atmosphere is cozy and inviting - its walls are lined with old National Geographic magazines and vintage board games that you can enjoy while sampling from the eclectic selection of beers on tap, or if you're in need of a jolt, the variety of espresso and coffee options will please even the biggest coffee snobs. And if you look up while sitting at one of the Map Room's highly-coveted high tops, you will see that the ceiling is covered in flags of the world. This sprang from the original idea of the Map Room to try to carry beers from as many countries as they could. That idea grew into the creation of an atmosphere where all travelers, near and far, could feel welcome. According the their website, the Map Room wanted "to be that kind of place, where all different people felt welcome, where ideas could be exchanged, where people could come to get some good social nourishment." I would say that they have succeeded in their mission and continue to grow in their knowledge of beer and provide that insight to the people that love it. So in the words of the Map Room, "Don't Be Lost" and make a stop in as soon as you are able. Cheers!