1. Shop Sweets for a Good Cause at Holy Serpent Holiday Bake Sale
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
Holy Serpent’s holiday bake sale has become an annual affair held in South Milwaukee right before Christmas. Local bakers sell their treats, and the proceeds go a specific cause. This year, the proceeds will help support Goodkind Restaurant co-owner Katie Rose, who is undergoing treatment for cancer. Pre-orders have opened and some goodies are already sold out. But not everything. On pick-up day (Monday, Dec. 22), the Holy Serpent folks are also hosting a celebration featuring snacks, drinks, a DJ and more for-sale treats (i.e., build-your-own cake boxes) at Muza Church (2114 Ninth Ave., South Milwaukee). The event is 5-9 p.m.
2. Grab a Drink at The Mothership
AMRITA THAKKAR, DIGITAL EDITOR
The Mothership in Bayview is finally back after facing some serious issues thanks to the flooding in Milwaukee earlier this year, and clichéd as it may sound, they’re better than ever. I’ll have to assume that, because for some reason I never actually went to Mothership before their reopening. All it took to change that was reading precisely one article talking about their cocktails.
While I’m not generally a fan of noisy bars on the weekend (a much more severe problem than you’d imagine when you live in Milwaukee), I can’t resist a creative cocktail – and on that front, Mothership truly delivers. Why is there kimchi brine and soy sauce in my drink? No clue, but it sure is delicious. Have I ever had rhubarb rose foam in a drink before? No, but now I wish every bar had this. The Mothership prides themselves the fact that they “don’t have everything,” and truly, they don’t need to – their craft cocktails are enough to keep me coming back again and again. Yes, even to a noisy bar on the weekend.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Sneak-Preview Solemn Oath, Milwaukee’s Next Brewery Taproom
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Solemn Oath Brewery’s Milwaukee taproom won’t be open until mid-2026 (that’s the plan, at least), but this week you can get a glimpse of what’s in store. Solemn Oath is teaming up with Bay View’s Supermoon Beer Co. to throw a preview party from 4-9 p.m. The taps will be taken over with a full range of Solemn Oath beers, including some barrel-aged treats and cans will be available for take-home, too. You can meet some of the Solemn Oath team, including brewery founder and Mequon native John Barley, and get an idea of what’s in store when the taproom – 342 E. Ward St., the former home of 1840 Brewing – opens next year. 4-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at Supermoon Beer, 3145 S. Howell Ave.
4. Get a Fancy Hot Chocolate at Rochambo
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
I’m a coffee masochist. I want that straight-up swampy bean juice out of the grossest percolator in the dingiest gas station possible. I want black coffee that burns, black coffee that makes me question whether tastebuds are even worth having. I want to contemplate my failures as I sip on that fiery disaster.
But when it comes to hot chocolate … well, I like a cozy little sweet treat. Every December, I delight in delicious hot chocolate of all kinds – the more whimsical the better. Drop some marshmallows in that sucker. Whipped cream all day. Peppermint sticks and sprinkles and all that junk. One local spot that serves a delicious hot chocolate is Rochambo, the charming coffee shop on Brady that always makes for a great hangout. Highly recommend grabbing a cup. They also offer a popular “Bhakti Chai Chocolate” – I’m a straight-up hot choco guy myself, but folks seem to love that one, too.
5. Feast on Italian Beef at Sammy’s Taste of Chicago
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
I can’t pretend I know my way around an Italian beef sandwich. I’m not from Chicago, and I don’t have the pedigree. But what I do know is that I greatly enjoy the Italian beef at Sammy’s Taste of Chicago in West Allis. My bosses here at the magazine were kind enough to supply us all with Sammy’s aplenty last week, which gave me another chance to indulge in this superb sandwich. All I needed were that hot giardiniera and crisp fries to satisfy my aching hunger. Perhaps that’s all anyone needs.
