The Coopers Tavern

(608) 256-1600
20 West Mifflin Street, Madison, WI

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Hours

11:00am-Close, Monday through Friday
9:00am-Close, Saturday and Sunday

Peter McElvanna - General Manager & Proprietor
Tim Larsen - Executive Chef

The Coopers Tavern is a neighborhood tavern that serves craft beer and rustic food in a relaxed atmosphere. Inspired by the travels of its owners, The Coopers Tavern features an outstanding selection of beer & wine from around the world and a menu designed to soothe your soul.

In ancient Egypt beer was a staple of every person’s daily diet. In fact, the workmen who built the pyramids received part of their pay as a ration of beer. Wine too can trace its past to the Minoan society from 2700 b.c.

It is the barrel however that carried these two beverages throughout time. And the cooper was the man who made it. Barrels are built by hand using simple tools like the in-shave, used for hollowing out the barrel, and the hoop driver, used to tap down the large metal ring that holds the boards, known as staves, of a barrel together.

Crafting a barrel good enough to house beer or wine is hard, painstaking work that requires the precision of a master cooper. Fortunately for us, enjoying  what's inside is easy. So raise a pint in honor to the cooper and his barrel.