Photo via Virtue Coffee & Valor Wine - Facebook
Virute Coffee and Valor Wine
Virtue Coffee and Valor Wine
Once you head south out of Bay View, it can be difficult for wine drinkers to find a decent glass of vino. With a few exceptions, most of the fine bars, restaurants and cafes along the South Shore ‘burbs are more beer centric, with limited offerings of low-quality vino for wine drinkers.
Now wine drinkers on the South Shore can rejoice with Virtue Coffee & Valor Wine, a dual-concept establishment that opened in May at 1234 Milwaukee Ave., in South Milwaukee.
With a moniker that represents strength and courage, the classy yet comfortable wine bar and coffee shop combo features a full bar that highlights Wisconsin wineries. Guests can enjoy flatbreads and charcuterie pairings.
The coffee shop component offers coffee and coffee drinks, local tea, bakery and snacks.
Photo via Virtue Coffee & Valor Wine - Facebook
Virtue Coffee and Valor Wine - Sidewalk chalk art
Virtue Coffee and Valor Wine sidewalk chalk art
As you arrive at Virtue Coffee & Valor Wine, be sure to check out the fun sidewalk chalk art on your way inside. Customers are greeted by a bright, spacious interior with tables and chairs, two bar counters, and a restored tin ceiling original to the building.
A cozy lounge area behind the bar offers a space to relax with friends on comfy couches. Local art adorns the walls, and a wine retail area features by-the-bottle wines for purchase. Knowledgeable, friendly staff is quick to take orders and answer questions.
A side door on the west side of the café opens to a steep staircase. If weather permits, head up to the rooftop deck, which was redone with new decking, decorative lighting, railings, shade sails and an exterior staircase on the north end of the building.
Approachable Coffee and Wine
Virtue Coffee serves Pedestrian Coffee, a Chicago-based roaster whose goal is ethical sourcing and getting great coffee into the hands of everyday people. At Virtue Coffee, guests can get drip coffee, espresso, and coffee drinks including lattes, cappuccinos, frappé, mochas and Irish coffee. Bagged coffee beans are available for purchase.
Tea drinkers can enjoy a variety of teas from Milwaukee-based Rishi Tea.
Breakfast options include breakfast bagels and croissant sandwiches, avocado toast, and chicken and waffles served on a Belgian style waffle. Flavored Danishes, doughnuts and cake round out the bakery offerings.
A lunch menu features salads, pot pies, and wraps. Meatless options are available.
As for the vino, the Valor Wine component shines a spotlight on a different Wisconsin-based winery every three to four months. During a July visit, the featured winery was Captain’s Walk, a woman-owned winery based in Green Bay, Wis.
Captain’s Walk, a laid-back urban winery in Titletown, features small-batch wines that include familiar grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, Riesling and Meritage, along with blends made with cold-hardy grapes such as the Marquette, grown in the Midwest and developed by the University of Minnesota’s cold-hardy wine grape research program. Captain’s Walk’s Marquette rosé has notes of the balanced yet flavorful Marquette grape, often referred to as “pinot noir’s cousin.”
As an aficionado of Wisconsin and Midwest wineries, Valor Wine owner Alexandria Backes developed a desire to bring these rural-based wineries closer to the city limits. Wine is available by the glass, flights, or by the bottle, with some options for less than $20.
Wine pairings include charcuterie boards, meat or vegetarian flatbreads, pretzel bites and bruschetta.
The Virtue Coffee & Valor Wine space is also available for events. They host yoga each Sunday at 9:30 a.m., led by instructors from Beyond Yoga, as they build out their new yoga studio at 1013 Milwaukee Ave., South Milwaukee.
For more information, visit virtueandvalormke.com.
