New Cheese Bar Opens Wednesday
Hill Valley Dairy is bringing its curated cheese and cocktails to Walker's Point.
Cheese board from Hill Valley Dairy. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
Forget the crackers — Hill Valley Dairy is all about cheese and cocktails at Milwaukee Cheese Bar, the company’s new pairing-focused venture, opening this week in Walker’s Point.
Located inside the creamery’s Artisan Cheese Factory and Shop, the bar is the latest addition to Hill Valley Dairy’s Milwaukee operation, which launched nearly a year ago in the former Clock Shadow Creamery factory space, 138 W. Bruce St.
Starting Wednesday, Nov. 20, Hill Valley Dairy will welcome its first guests with cheese boards, snacks and small plates — all expertly paired with wine, beer, cider and cocktails crafted by NiteCap Consulting.
The soft-opening menu features drinks like the Hill Valley Bourbon Old Fashioned Sour, garnished with a cheese cube and pimento olive skewer; the Apple Chaser, made with State Line Gin, lime, green apple puree, aquafaba and Bittercube Jamaican #2 bitters; and Autumnal Beach Vibes, a blend of aged rum, pineapple rum, lime, almond orgeat, blue curaçao, mint and PufferFish bitters. Half of the bar’s six cocktail options are also available in zero-proof versions.
Each cocktail arrives with a slice of cheese to pair, but the menu doesn’t stop there. Guests can look forward to more substantial snacks including a classic cheese board, ricotta pesto bites and the Hill Valley parfait — layers of ricotta, strawberry jam, peach jam, local honey and Indulgence Chocolatiers chocolate.
The wine program also prioritizes pairings, with a recommended cheese listed right on the menu. A refreshing, fruit-forward rosé pairs perfectly with an order of fresh cheese curds, for example, while a riesling makes a bold match for habanero cheddar.
But how did owners Ron and Josie Henningfeld settle on the recommendations? A delicious process of trial and error. The married couple recalled a Saturday morning in the midst of menu prep when they headed to Lost Whale for a marathon sampling session, testing different combinations in the quest for the perfect pairing.
“We arrived with a cooler full of cheeses and tried different things until it clicked,” Ron said, noting that he went into the experience with a rough idea of which flavors would blend well together.
While creating the Milwaukee business had its delicious moments, the process could also be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Over the past six months, the Henningfelds have transformed the building’s public-facing space, formerly a retail cheese store, into a cozy and luxurious lounge area—almost entirely through DIY projects.
That includes building out a bar, installing faux copper ceiling tiles and bringing in pops of color with floral wallpaper and flowing metallic curtains. The space is furnished with bar stools, a handful of four-top tables and several plush loveseats.
The ambience is in stark contrast to the factory portion of the building, visible through a large window adjacent to the bar. There, the Henningfelds manufacture their award-winning cheeses using milk from the family dairy farm, now owned by Ron’s brother, Frank.
That emphasis on local goods goes beyond just cheese. The bar’s retail area is stocked with local honey, harvested by Frank and his sons in East Troy. The store also features a selection of cured meats, crackers and sweets, along with a full variety of Hill Valley Dairy cheeses.
The creamery, founded in 2016, also operates a cheese bar and retail store in Lake Geneva. The Henningfelds reside in East Troy, approximately halfway between the two stores. However, the pair’s connection to Milwaukee goes beyond the new location.
The couple previously lived on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side, and Josie attended UW-Milwaukee. Ron was also the original cheesemaker at Clock Shadow Creamery, and later, as the owner of Hill Valley Dairy, he shared the factory space with its previous occupant.
Looking ahead, Ron said he hopes to activate the building’s rooftop garden space for patio season, a project last undertaken in 2021 by Indeed Brewing Company, which is located next door to Hill Valley Dairy.
Starting Wednesday, the Walker’s Point cheese bar and store will open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Hours of operation will be Wednesday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to midnight.
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