House of Guinness is a classic staple of night life in Waukesha. Dim lighting, dark wood walls and…read morebar, and live music. This the perfect place for conversation, as you can actually hear yourself talk in here. Refreshingly, there are only a few (maybe two?) TVs in the place. They are only on for the World Cup, Packers game, and sometimes Brewers/Bucks if you ask, otherwise it's alternative music playing through an iPad.
The taps are filled with imports, as well as some local crafts. The back bar is filled with not just Irish whiskey, but other impressive whiskey/bourbon. Oh, and since the new ownership took over their cocktail game has been strong, which is a warm welcome to Waukesha. Their cocktail menu shifts with the season and features their housemade bitters. The food menu is limited to Emil's pizza, Milwaukee Pretzel Co pretzel with cheese and mustard, and Pop's Kettlecorn. Oh, and how could I forget that they offer free kettle chips. For Packer games I've seen them offer brats or hot ham rolls, among other food patrons have brought in to share.
My favorite thing about HoG? Whiskey Club. Come in anytime, get a sheet at no cost, and start drinking some whiskey/bourbon. The goal? Drink 40 different whiskeys. Along the way you'll get incentives, like a whiskey on the house, free pint of beer, etc. Once you hit 40 you're hand a button up shirt and are officially a member. Members have access to special meetings where the bar will be shutdown to just members for speciality tastings, classes and more. Oh, don't just stop at 40, there is an 80 level, and even a 100 level!
For someone with little understanding of whiskey other than I like it in my old fashioned, hah, I'm 13 whiskeys in and I've already learned a lot. The bartenders are eager to share their whiskey wisdom, as are other patrons.
If I had to list a negative... I wish the food menu was just a tiny bit bigger, as after three double pours of whiskey I need some kind of real sustenance. Perhaps something like a chip dip for the kettle chips and baked chicken wings, since they do not have a full kitchen/fryer.