While Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is famous for its beer (locals dub it "Brew City" and "Brewtown"), cocktail aficionados will be happy to know that the city has no shortage of great mixology. We visit the ten best bars in the city to experience elegant cocktails and top local tipples.

Housed in a century-old, cream-colored brick building that originally housed the Schubert-Zoeller Printing Company, Black Sheep has modernized the facility while maintaining an industrial look. These efforts have not gone unnoticed: Black Sheep earned a 2014 Mayor's Design Award for the quality of its facade renovation. Inside the building, a spacious and sleek space decorated with quirky sheep paintings, guests can enjoy 16 wines on tap from Black Sheep's self-service wine dispenser. Or sit back and order one of the many inventive cocktails available or enjoy small plates such as the gourmet 'Haute' dog

The Hotel Foster

Hotel Foster is a prohibition-themed bar with exposed brick walls, filled with period furnishings and accented with delicate stained glass windows. The cocktail selection offers modest twists on classic recipes, such as Quinn's Collins, a seasonal option made with raspberry jam and cucumber. Grab a drink or two while enjoying one of the many art shows and musicians that the Hotel Foster hosts throughout the year, not to mention the ever-popular Milwaukee Film Festival hosted by the hotel in the summer months.

Balzac

Located in a row of pastel-colored buildings just off bustling Brady Street, the favorite hangout for hip students, Balzac offers an intimate retreat for the more mature palate. Aspiring wine connoisseurs will enjoy the spectacular wine list, while gourmets will enjoy Balzac's extensive menu of tapas and small plates. The bag of mac, a heap of cavatappi pasta topped with a blue cheese and bechamel sauce, is a must-try. Balzac's intricate menu and stylish interior make it no surprise that it is regularly voted the best first date bar by locals.

1716 N Arlington Place, Milwaukee, WI, USA, +1 414 755 0099

Boone Crockett

Boone Crockett promises its visitors pretentious drinks without the pretentiousness'; the best of both worlds. While a hipster crowd can often be found here, the varying selection of seasonal cocktails and the range of bourbons, whiskeys, and whiskeys should appeal to anyone who appreciates a superior drink. The bar's most popular cocktail, a bold old -fashioned old- fashioned, could tempt even the most devoted hipster into the mainstream. Combine Boone Crockett's drinks with its saloon-meets-speakeasy vibe, complete with paisley couches under ornate crystal chandeliers, light fixtures constructed from gramophones, and mounted deer brushes, and you've got one of the most striking locations in Milwaukee.

Boone Crockett, 2151 S Kinnickinnic Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, USA, +1 414 763 4935

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge

Bryant's Cocktail Lounge is a venue that has stood the test of time. Founded in 1938, the retro bar is the city's oldest cocktail lounge and, except for renovations after a fire in 1971, has hardly changed over the years. The drinks menu, or rather the lack of it, is particularly pleasant. Instead of flipping through a physical list, customers are encouraged to tell their bartender what they feel like. From this limited information, the experienced mixologists will concoct a perfect cocktail based on mood, taste, and type. Of course, there are some tried-and-true options patrons can order, such as the Pink Squirrel and the Banshee, invented by the bar's founder and still available today.