ABOUT US

Kiesling is a neighborhood bar located in Milwaukee Junction, Detroit.

A little history...

1890s

The building was built by the Kiesling family, and served as a general store operated by Joseph Kiesling. The space  eventually became Milwaukee Cafe, and the original “Kiesling saloon” was built off the back half of the building. 

1913

Evolving the “saloon” into a cozy tavern, woodland murals were commissioned from one “A.F. French” depicting the four seasons, and a lot of deer. By this time, Ford’s Model T Factory, just a block away, was booming.

1950s - 1960s

A bar known as "Mr. Eddies” operated in the space, serving what was a rapidly changing neighborhood.  

1970s - Early 1990s

Surrounding factories shuttered and a once thriving neighborhood gave way to a now familiar Detroit landscape. Here,  “Edith’s Hideaway” became a watering hole for police officers and the remaining few  factory workers. During this time, the murals on the walls were covered under several layers of paint and drywall.

Mid-1990s

The bar closed and the nearby apartments were abandoned and boarded up.

2015 - 2018

The luck of the bar began to change! Developer Carlo Liburdi saw potential for a neighborhood bar to once again exist in the corner space, and secured the building. After partnering with designer and creative director Ashley Davidson, the space was transformed into place. Both Davidson and Liburdi wanted to maintain the identity of many historical features. The newly recovered murals and the mosaic on the stoop had to stay, but the holes in the floor had to go! Liburdi oversaw the bar construction while Davidson focused on developing an identity for the space through branding and design, including details like gold leaf signage and hand-printed wallpapers to add dimension and complexity to the small interior, expanding it visually. Together, they envisioned a bar that could provide exceptional service for the entire community: an approachable cocktail bar-meets-elevated-dive, with a diverse menu to match. Through their shared vision for an inclusive community space, the building was brought back to life, and “Kiesling” was born again.  

2018

Kiesling’s neon sign switched on, and the doors opened with an incredible team who continues to breathe life and inspiration into the concept by creating an approachable and interesting bar program with something for everyone. They are the definition of hospitality!

2020

Kiesling got a new sister in the adjacently located Milwaukee Caffè, designed as an Italian-inspired standing-room-only espresso bar. However, since the space opened during the Covid pandemic, it initially provided curbside window service for coffee drinkers and Kiesling patrons alike.

The Kiesling Kitchen opened its swinging doors for the first time, offering bar bites and a weekly home to rotating guest chefs and pop-up artists.

2021

Kiesling reopened for regular service with a new extension: the Hideaway Lounge was built out at last, featuring large banquets, bistro tables, and a second “living room” area to provide additional space for patrons… and a new opportunity to explore new wallpaper, plus furniture and art from local historic homes.

2023

Kiesling celebrated 5 years of service, and was nominated one of the Top 30 Cocktail Bars in the USA from the venerable Tales of the Cocktail!

With generous sponsorship from Campari, Kiesling launched the Kiesling Co-Lab program, designed to host guest bar teams from the best bars in the world for pop-ups, to share their craft with our team and local hospitality industry, and show them the best parts of Detroit during their visit.

In 2023, Kiesling hosted teams from The Dead Rabbit form NYC, Crybaby Gallery from Toronto, COBRA from Columbus, Merryweather from Louisville, and our team traveled to Mexico City to collaborate with Taverna.

2024

Kiesling was nominated for the second year in a row as one of the Top 30 Cocktail Bars in the USA from the Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail!

For Kiesling Co-Lab, we hosted teams from La Factoria in Puerto Rico, Attaboy in Nashville, and Taverna in Mexico City, and the team travelled to Crybaby Gallery in Toronto and The Coldroom in Montreal. The team also did a guest shift at Civil Liberties in Toronto, in celebration of their ten year anniversary.

Our bar manager, Allison Everitt, was nominated one of the Best New Bartenders of 2024 by PUNCH Magazine.

Our co-founder, Ashley Davidson, was awarded into the 2024 cohort of Women Entrepreneurial Leaders at the James Beard Foundation.

AND both Kiesling and our sister coffee shop, Milwaukee Caffè, were listed as must-visit stops in the new Michelin Guide for Detroit!

As the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood continues to evolve into a thriving mix of residents and businesses, our new take on Kiesling is a happy member of that renaissance community.

And the “Kiesling” name is still spelled out on our doorstep. We think that's a good sign.