Celebrating Tartan Day at the Rock Bottom Brewery

Deep in a private dining room of the Rock Bottom Brewery, alongside the Milwaukee River, a gathering of men in various and particularly-colored Scottish kilts and the lauded women who love them joined for a special night of food and drink hosted by the resident microbrewer David Bass and the restaurant’s new Executive Chef Shawn Murphy to celebrate National Tartan Day.

The main course of Haggis (the meat pudding dish was prepared with minced onions and oats with a turnip puree with mashed potatoes and a side of Fire Chief Ale) was blessed by Scotsman Ian Pritchard who recited Robert Burns’s “Address to a Haggis.” Additional courses for the night included a chicken and leek soup, lamb chops, and Cranachan (a traditional Scottish dessert noted for ingredients like granola, berries, cream, honey and whiskey). Each dish was paired with a seasonal in-house brew including the eponymous “Naughty Scot” ale.

Our photography intern Benjamin Wick got a chance to view the dinner firsthand. Proceeds from the evening went to the Wisconsin Scottish group. For now, you’ll have to enjoy the photography from that Tartan’s Day eve meal. View our slideshow below or the whole set at our Flickr account here.