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In just a few days there will be a brand new destination for artisan Wisconsin cheese, crafty cocktails, beer and wine in Walker’s Point.
The elegantly appointed new Milwaukee Cheese Bar by Hill Valley Dairy will officially open to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. inside the new Hill Valley Dairy Artisan Cheese Factory and Shop at 138 W. Bruce St.
Operated by cheesemaker Ron Henningfield and his wife Josie, Hill Valley Dairy Artisan Cheese Factory and Shop will showcase a full variety of Hill Valley cheeses.
That includes cheese curds, flavored cheddars, whiskey gouda, and award-winning cheeses like Alina, a cave-aged Alpine style cheese that won 4th place at the 2022 World Cheese Championship and 3rd place at the 2024 American Cheese Society Championship; and Luna, a cave-aged Alpine/Gouda hybrid which brought home a 3rd place from the 2022 World Cheese Championship.
The shop will also carry a curated selection of other artisan Wisconsin cheeses, crackers and a variety of accouterments including chocolate, honey, preserves and cheese-adjacent items.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Cheese Bar will offer guests the opportunity to taste the cheeses, learn more about them and sample them alongside expertly paired beverages in a casual, yet elegant environment.
Take a peek
Walk into the Cheese Bar and you’ll find an utterly transformed environment. Plain grey walls have been saturated with deep purple and green. Orange velvet curtains hang from the expansive windows and eye-catching floral wall-paper decorates the wall behind the bar and cheese counter.
Seating is available around the L-shaped bar which – if you look closely – you’ll see features milk piping as its foot rail.
There is also lounge-style seating on orange couches in the corner and seating at tables equipped for convivial groups.
As for the menu, it’s a lovely showcase of both Hill Valley Dairy’s cheeses and a curated selection of wine, beer and exceptional cocktails.
“We wanted to do things a little different at the Milwaukee Cheese Bar,” says Josie Henningfield, noting that pairing cheeses with wine and beer is fairly common, but it’s far less common to find cheeses paired with craft cocktails.
So she called on family friend, Lost Whale and NiteCap Consulting co-owner Trip Duval, who put his head together with business partner Dan Beres to create five stellar craft cocktails to pair with Hill Valley Dairy artisan cheeses.
On the menu, guests will find those five cocktails, each paired with a delicious cheese that both compliments and is complimented by, the quaff. Offerings include:
- Smokey Carajillo: Dos Hombres Mezcal, Licor 43 Spiced Citrus and Vanilla Liqueur, Stone Creek cold brew, dark chocolate and chili pepper whipped cream ($11). A zero-proof version is also available made with Lyre’s Coffee and Agave Blanco Spirits ($8).
- Babcock Boulevard: Darib Cavados, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Cyar 70 Proof, Aperol, Bittercube Root Beer Bitters and caramelized orange oil ($13).
- What the Dillio: Rehorst Citrus Honey Vodka, lemon, blackberry puree, Almond Orgeat, Blue Curacao, mint, Pufferfish Tiki Bitters ($12).
- Apple Chaser: State Line Gin, lime, green apple puree, aquafaba, Bittercube Jamaican #2 Bitters ($12). A zero-proof version is also available made with Lyre’s London Dry Spirit ($9).
- Hill Valley Bourbon Old Fashioned Sour: (kegged and fully carbonated) J. Henry Small Batch 92 Proof Bourbon, Even Williams 100 Proof Bourbon, black cherry, orange, Bittercube All Day Aromatic and Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters, Squirt grapefruit soda, cheese and pimento garnish ($11). A zero proof version is also available made with Lyre’s American Malt Spirit ($8).
The bar will be managed by former Lost Whale alum Miles Knapp, along with a cadre of experienced mixologists whose knowledge extends to the cheeses featured at the bar.
“We want anyone who visits to be able to experience great cheese and great cocktails, but we wanted it to be an even better experience when they experienced it together,” says Henningfield.
Guests will also find a curated selection of wines and beers and various ways to enjoy cheeses, whether on their own or paired with beverages. For instance, wines can be enjoyed as pours, flights or pairings with cheeses.
Cheese and charcuterie boards are also available featuring cheeses, charcuterie and accompaniments (as pictured: $27).
A full-circle move
Hill Valley Dairy officially became the new tenant of the former Clock Shadow Creamery in Walker’s Point last December.
It was a full-circle move for Ron Henningfield, who was employed as the Clock Shadow Creamery cheesemaker for the first three years that the urban creamery was in operation. (Check out this He said/She said Q&A we did with the Henningfields in 2012 for fun facts about the couple and their adventures in cheese... and building a trebuchet!)
Even after Ron left his official position at Clock Shadow to focus on starting a family, the Henningfields continued to make cheese. They founded Hill Valley Dairy in 2016, sourcing the milk for their cheeses from their third-generation dairy family farm, Romari Farm in East Troy (operated by Ron’s brother Frank) and producing the cheeses in Milwaukee at Clock Shadow Creamery.
“We’ve always been thankful that Bob saved that space for us, so that even when we decided to move away and start a family, he allowed us to continue to make Hill Valley Dairy cheeses in Milwaukee,” notes Josie, pointing out that the move became a turning point for Hill Valley Dairy.
In 2020, Henningfield built a cave for aging cheeses at the farm and began experimenting with washed rind cheeses. And in 2022, the couple opened The Hill Valley Cheese Shop followed by the adjacent Hill Valley Cheese Bar at 512 Broad St. in Lake Geneva. The cheese shop and tasting bar offered the Henningfields a place to showcase their cheeses, along with curated selections from other Wisconsin cheesemakers.
When Clock Shadow Creamery founder Bob Wills decided to refocus his energy on his main cheese business, Cedar Grove Cheese, he offered the Henningfields the opportunity to take over the lease on the space and purchase the cheesemaking equipment.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” notes Henningfield. “We are excited about the connection that we’re making between the city and the rural area where our farm produces the dairy for our cheeses. And we can’t wait to introduce Milwaukee to what we started in Walworth County.”
The Milwaukee Cheese Bar by Hill Valley Dairy will open to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Hours of operation will be Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3 to midnight.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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