By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published Apr 01, 2015 at 12:01 AM

They say the best – and worst ideas – come after drinking. Maybe that's why, after spending almost every night after work in Milwaukee-based Irish bars, Michael Gallagher moved back to Dublin to open a Milwaukee-themed bar.

"One night, after my fifth or sixth pint, it occurred to me that if Milwaukeeans love Irish bars so much, maybe Irish people would love Milwaukee bars, too" says Gallagher. "I can’t believe no one thought of this before. Or if they did, and it didn’t work out, didn’t tell me. I spent all of my drinking money for the rest of my life on this thing."

Before committing to the idea, Gallagher ran the idea past some Irish friends living in Milwaukee and they agreed it was worth a shot. "A shot of Jameson, anyway," jokes Gallagher. "Hey, you want a shot of Jameson?"

Gallagher, who lived in Milwaukee for 12 years, returned to Dublin in late 2014 and plans to open his first Milwaukee-themed Irish bar on Fleet Street in June.

"It was tough coming up with just the right name," says Gallagher. "We had a lot of good ones on the list."

Gallagher says he considered opening an all-Miller beer bar called "Millerwaukee" but decided the concept was ultimately too limiting.

"Plus, Miller tastes like loo water," he says.

He then considered naming the bar "Pat O’Brien’s," after the Irish actor Pat O’Brien who was born in Milwaukee in 1899. O’Brien went on to star in many films including "Some Like It Hot" and was known as the "Hollywood Irishman in Residence."

"Then I remembered there was a Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans and I didn’t want to seem like a copy cat," says Gallagher. "But that would have been bloody perfect."

Gallagher says he considered "Liberace’s Diamond Tap," "Arthur Fonzarelli’s" and "Chaser Nation."

"If there’s one thing I can thank Milwaukee for it’s introducing me to the chaser with a Bloody Mary," he says. "That shite just doesn’t exist anywhere else."

Gallagher finally settled on a primarily Old Fashioned bar called "Death By Brandy" because of the large amounts of brandy consumed in Wisconsin.

"We will sell more than brandy, though," says Gallagher. "Of course, we will have Guinness, but instead of ‘drawing’ a shamrock in the foam we’ll do Milwaukee images like beer bellies and the Domes. Come to think of it, those will actually look very similar."

Gallagher says Death By Brandy will also serve Milwaukee food like Usinger's liver sausage sandwiches, Ma Bensch herring and Bay View pickled eggs. Although Gallagher’s not much of a sports guy, he will consider showing Milwaukee rugby matches.

"But only if someone donates the tellys," he says.

Gallagher is also trying to convince a couple of retired Irish musicians to start a Violent Femmes cover band.

"I have some open Tuesday nights," he says, "that would work for either a Femmes band or maybe a Yell Leaders’ cover band."

Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan suggested that Gallagher name his pub McKiernan's East, or Barrett's Bit of Hades.


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.