Coming Soon to the Mill District - Milly’s Wine Bar
Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 1:37AM
Brandon WitzelSomething great is coming to 1129 Washington Avenue S - Milly’s Wine Bar! We talked to co-owner, Brandon Witzel (who also serves as onsite manager and designer) about the plans for the wine bar and the wonderful community events to be hosted in the space. I think I’m a Level 2 wine enthusiast - how about you?
Q: Why will the business be named Milly's Wine Bar?
A: It's a play off the Mill District neighborhood name, but all three of us knew a Milly in some capacity - Aunt, friend, or in my case, a dog.
Q: How did the team conceive of Milly’s?
A: It was all pure chance, honestly, we found the building before we thought of a wine bar! A partner spotted a small for sale sign in the window of 1129 Washington Avenue S while driving home one day. We met the owner, who was waiting for the right buyer, and a few weeks later we closed on the building (he even held a key blessing for us!). It's been a long time in the works, but we're beyond excited to bring Milly’s to the neighborhood! We've got a few phases to work through, but we're hoping the next phases will be driven by our customers' feedback.
First floor concept
Q: Why is it important to you to bring old buildings back to life? What other buildings have you rehabbed?
A: An old building just has charm and a story that can't be recreated. In a neighborhood that's modern, having something original just feels inviting. Milly's used to be a bottle company in its origin, a few revamps in between before it was an architecture firm.
We have another building on Eat Street which is a coworking boutique location (Flockmpls.com) and is on the historical registry! It's a really fun space to collaborate, hold a meeting, or just get out of the house.
Q: As a wine bar, will you help beginners choose wine and food pairings?
A: Absolutely, wine is great but getting the right snack with your glass or bottle only enhances your experience. Our vision for this is four-fold:
Level 1: The Aficionado The level based on my partners - they know wine, they've traveled the world and can tell you about wineries, regions, vintages, etc.
Level 2: The Intermediate Based on my experience - I know the style of wine I like, I know certain areas I like, but I don't know enough of all areas to speak extensively on it.
Level 3: The Beginner Based on our families - they love Stella Rose, Franzia, Barefoot, etc., which is great, but they are unsure of themselves when they go into a restaurant if they don't know a wine by name. Our goal here isn't to push them into something, but ultimately have them leave Milly’s saying, "I didn't know I'd like that, where can I buy this?" or "That was really fun, I'd like to go back and try more."
Level 4: The 'I don't drink wine' Based on some of my clients - wine isn't their jam, I get it. But we've found some wine that sips like a bourbon and we're developing our wine cocktails (espresso martini, Negroni, etc., which are WINE-focused!). We think we will be able to please Level 4 patrons, too.
We're also working on our non-alcoholic selections. Although it's not as vast, everyone's taste levels are included!
Q: You have said on earlier occasions that you'll serve gigantic cheese boards - please tell us more about your ideas.
A: Hahaha, well we've expanded this idea. We're having a 'nibbles' section where you can do a cheese, cracker and a dip for one person. From there, we're going to simplify it where you choose your own adventure. You can do a cheese board (3 standard house cheeses) served with crackers and jam with the option to add in one or two rotating cheeses that may be in for the day, the week, or the month (trying new cheeses should be fun!). You'll also have the option to add in meats, jams, fruits, etc.
Not your style? We're currently workshopping 3 different food boards, so if you're like me and coming in for a chat, you can order a bottle of wine and graze on different items to your heart's content.
Impressive wall covering comprised of wine bottle corks.
Q: What type of events do you envision for Milly's?
A: We see small, intimate wedding receptions, condo resident gatherings and wine tastings, but once we're open I think the space and community will tell us what we need and want. We truly want this to be a 'neighborhood' wine bar that's going to grow and change with the neighborhood.
Q: How may we follow your news?
A: For right now, please follow us on Instagram.
