Bittercube will no longer have a bar in Milwaukee after closing Mosler's Vault

Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Bittercube's eight-year run of having bars in the city of Milwaukee will come to an end after the North Avenue Market space at 5900 W. North Ave. closed on Sept. 24, closing Mosler's Vault with it.

Bittercube owner Ira Koplowitz said he was sad for the fate of the North Avenue Market space, but it was a positive change for Bittercube. The company, which makes unique bitters flavors and liqueurs, had grown to the point that it did not need a bar to promote its product.

"At this point, 99% of our business is in bitters manufacturing," Koplowitz said. "The bar was always to showcase our products, and at this point, we have so much going on that opening a new bar doesn't seem feasible."

Bittercube's first bar was Dock18 Cocktail Lab at the Lincoln Warehouse, 2018 S. First St., which opened in 2016. In 2018, Koplowitz moved operations to Bittercube Bar & Bazaar, an 8,700-square-foot warehouse at 4828 W. Lisbon Ave. where he was able to expand Bittercube manufacturing and build a larger cocktail room.

A bartender makes a firey drink at Mosler's Vault at the now-closed North Avenue Market, 5900 W. North Ave. The bar by Bittercube was its last brick-and-mortar bar after an eight-year run in three locations.
A bartender makes a firey drink at Mosler's Vault at the now-closed North Avenue Market, 5900 W. North Ave. The bar by Bittercube was its last brick-and-mortar bar after an eight-year run in three locations.

That bar closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of reopening at the warehouse, however, Koplowitz connected with North Avenue Market owner Chris Harris Morse and decided to open a Bittercube bar there instead.

When North Avenue Market opened in a former bank building on West North Avenue in 2022, Bittercube was the bar vendor in the upstairs food hall and operated a bar named Mosler's Vault in the basement. The bar in a former bank vault was a small space with seating for just 11 patrons where Bittercube offered cocktail tastings and other elevated drinks.

When North Avenue Market rebranded to Christopher's Kitchen in June this year, Bittercube helped build the drink menu for the main-level space and continued to operate Mosler's Vault in the lower level.

Koplowitz said he wants to keep the company locally connected through collaborations, like its recently released pumpkin spice bitters aged in Great Lakes Distillery barrels and The Wolf Bitters made in 3 Sheeps Brewing Co. barrels.

He said they also will likely do pop-ups in the future. Fans of Bittercube can follow Mosler's Vault Instagram (which might be renamed, Koplowitz said) to stay up-to-date on future events.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mosler's Vault closing ends Bittercube's run of bars in Milwaukee

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