Although I’m nothing close to a morning person, I recently got up (long) before the sun. I put on my best plaid shirt and went to a dive bar…at 6 a.m. And had a great time. Chad and I went to our first (and probably last) third shift bar crawl.
A huge shoutout goes to James, our friend and wiffle ball teammate who invited Chad and I to one of his one-of-a-kind birthday celebrations. Apparently, he has quite the reputation for inventive parties. (I guess last year they walked in on a staff holiday by accident and were invited to stay, open bar and all.) This year’s was no exception.
What’s third shift?
Many jobs can be classified in three categories of “shifts”—those eight hours spent at the workplace. First shift is defined as the classic 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and second shift is usually 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. Finally, third shift typically takes place between 12 a.m. – 8 a.m., though the hours can vary.
Essentially, the third shift is a label for overnight jobs. You see it all over—examples range from stockers to bartenders to front desk staff to security and paramedics and beyond. While most of the world is snoozing, third shift employees are working hard.
And like many people who want to grab a drink after working a long day on the job—whether to unwind before heading home, or to catch up with coworkers—third-shifters are no exception.
Enter: bars that are open pretty specifically to cater to the third shift workers.
Or, a group of young people who decide to brave the Milwaukee cold at 6 a.m. for a birthday bar crawl.
Our third shift bar crawl experience
Though I moaned and groaned and just about cried with my 4-something-a.m. alarm, our commitment to the bar crawl was stronger than the snooze button. Chad and I managed to get out of bed and outside into the darkness, where the cold air woke us right up.
We dressed in our best “dive bar chic,” which essentially meant plaid shirts, jeans, hats, and boots. I also had a slight headache either from too-little sleep or no caffeine at all. However, the pain was replaced with joy as we sat down at Scotty’s at 6:15 a.m. I ordered a Bud Light, clinked glasses with the birthday boy, and couldn’t believe I made it.
Our group—which started small, with about six of us for the first hour and grew to around 20 by the end of the crawl—was not alone at these bars. Nope, there were regulars. And we…definitely stood out. Part of me felt bad for taking over their juke boxes with Rihanna and Semisonic and overwhelming their probably-never-busy bartenders with several orders at once, but I also think it was a novel experience for them, too.
Many regulars were amused and inquisitive. (I wasn’t shocked by the one woman who looked us all up and down and yelled, “but why?” from across the room.) Hopefully, at the very least, we were a good story for them to tell later on, too.
On the clock
We had a ton of fun. I really enjoyed Scotty’s ambiance and intimacy (though it was a top 5 most embarrassing moment for me when I got lost on the way to the bathroom, opened up the kitchen door on accident, and the entire room was laughing at me). The second bar, Clementine’s, was extremely cute. It had art on the walls and the cutest bathroom. Plus, this is where I ordered a Colectivo coffee via Doordash, which made all the difference for me energy-wise.
We wound up at Coffeetails by mid-morning, which was unexpectedly filled with Irish coffee drinkers at 10:30 a.m. (I guess it’s a thing—the bartender, Germaine, even has stickers thanks to her reputation as the 6 a.m. bartender of the East Side). The other side of the bar, Y-Not-II Tavern, opened around noon. Here, I enjoyed the complimentary buttered popcorn and the owner’s poodle that wandered through for a quick moment.
It was a blast. I had my first “lunchbox” drink (and the bartender’s too—James had to let her know the ingredients, lol), Chad threw out a wild card by ordering a tequila and soda first-thing, and I realized my friend Adam has a similar body composition to our dog Wally—legs for days—which I absolutely had to share with him. There was bar dice and pull-tabs and bloody marys galore. We laughed, had some great conversations, and celebrated a great person with his family and friends.
A pretty solid, top-tier day. And even better, we were at home and napping by 3 p.m.
*A special thank you to Brittany for giving us rides between stops!!
Where we went
Here’s a list of the bars in Milwaukee we went for our third shift bar crawl. They were great sports about us invading their early morning routines, and I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them. If you happen to be up and ready to party first-thing in the morning, I highly recommend seeking out these local taverns.
The Historic Scotty’s Bar
3921 S Clement Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207
scottysbarpizza.com
Scotty’s is everything a bar should be at 6 a.m.—for the people, by the people. It’s a family-owned business that feels very community-centered, with extremely affordable drinks and neon signs of every variety. It’s a place where, if you’re there at the right time, everyone absolutely does know your name.
Clementines Tavern
3143 S Clement Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207
clementinestavernmke.com
As their website states, Clementines is “a beautiful bar for beautiful people.” There’s art on the walls, pinball games in the back, and a bathroom that was born to be the backdrop for selfies. They open at 6 a.m. and are known for great cocktails—I got the Hamm’s on tap, which wasn’t so bad either.
Coffeetails
1506 N Van Buren St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
facebook.com/MKEcoffeetails
Coffeetails is cozy and fun coffee bar, with good cocktails made from a giant collection of shooter alcohol containers. Like their Facebook page says, they’re a “early morning tavern for those 3rd shifters looking for a bit of fun before hitting the hay.” Their bartender, Germaine, is something of a celebrity, and you can find her “I woke up with Ger’mama” stickers all over the East Side.
Y-NOT-II Tavern
706 E Lyon St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Urban Milwaukee review
And, when Coffeetails closes at 11, the party naturally shifts to the upstairs bar, Y-NOT-II. It’s a fun, neon-doused, community oriented space with delicious free popcorn and a subtle nod to the owner’s pet poodle. Y NOT has been a staple for 50 years, and is a can’t-miss tavern in Milwaukee, third-shift or not.
As far as themed bar crawls go, we’re on a roll. I can’t wait to see what we come up with next.
Hint: I won’t be setting an alarm for it.
Cheers, and thanks again to James for an invite to an incredible morning and third shift bar crawl.
Established in 2018, Sunshine with Savannah is a catch-all blog with an emphasis on weekend travel, millennial-style marriage and fun, reflection-based musings, outdoor adventure, home design, and all things lifestyle.
Though the content is diverse and varied, the heart of this space stays true to a single, guiding principle: a simple pursuit to find sunshine, wherever I go.
Awakening Wonders says
Very creative post!!!! Who would have thought to check out third shift bars, you are so very creative!
Sunshine with Savannah says
Thank you! It was such a great opportunity to chat with and meet new people we’d probably never see otherwise! So much fun. Thanks for reading!