The Tap Yard at Schlitz Park Is Open

A new beer garden in Schlitz Park lends a backyard feel to an office complex parking lot.

The Tap Yard, run by Nick Marking, opened last month at 1555 N. River Center Dr., along the Milwaukee Riverwalk. The outdoor bar was originally planned in 2021 for 1301 N. Edison St., but it never fully opened.

The beer garden consists of about 30 picnic tables, and a walk-up bar housed in a bright green shipping container. Off to one side, two trailers contain the bar’s 24 tap lines. An oak barrel fence separates the area from the rest of the parking lot.

Later this summer, Marking said he plans to collaborate with Milwaukee Paddle Tavern and Milwaukee Duffy Boat Rentals to organize a Milwaukee River pub crawl. The crawl would make stops at Lakefront Brewery and Stubby’s Gastropub.

The beer garden hosts a series of special events, including a cuisine festival on the third Sunday of each month. May and June featured grilled cheese and tacos respectively. The July 24 festival will highlight barbecue.

Starting July 2, the beer garden will have a farmers market with up to 20 vendors. The market will set up every Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. until the end of the summer.

The Tap Yard is family and dog-friendly, and has yard games like big Jenga, bag toss, Hammerschlagen and giant Connect Four.

The beer garden sees a few hundred visitors daily, said Marking, and is accessible by foot, car and boat. The surface lot that surrounds the bar has plenty of free parking. The beer garden is also walkable from nearby apartments and office complexes and is located near a dock with six boat tie ups.

The Tap Yard at Schlitz Park is a new addition to Marking’s existing business. The Tap Yard has other locations in Brookfield, Waukesha and West Bend.

The Tap Yard is open Wednesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.