The Belmont Tavern's New Man In Charge

Wisconsin native Joel C. Harris is bringing skillful expertise and years of experience to his new position as the General Manager of The Belmont Tavern, one of Milwaukee's newest “built from scratch” premier bars. Joel sat down with #showmetheway and opened up to anything and everything that celebrates his career and reminds us of what makes going out for a drink so much fun in Milwaukee.

Anyone observing Joel behind the bar will instantly notice his trained hands, watchful eye, quick memory, and friendly laid-back demeanor – a combination of skills and personality that have been ingrained in him from a young age “I've been making old fashions and manhattans since I was 14 years old”. He “grew up in the business – in all aspects - worked my way from the bottom up”. His experience has included everything from starting out washing dishes, to taste tasting every liquor (yes, even the bad ones), to managing tropical beach bars, to opening and running his own bar – his favorite part of it all? He “enjoy[s] catering to the real side of people – when the tie loosens up... the after work, fun side of people”. Joel exemplifies the classic Milwaukee character: a family guy, jack of all trades handyman, humble almost to a fault, with a streak of adrenaline junkie (bungee jumping, skydiving, motorcycles, fast cars) and an immense passion for drinks and local nightlife.

Joel's history in the bar business is eerily rooted in the Cathedral Square, his very first (legal-age) bartending gig was at Park Bar, a predecessor in Whiskey Bar's current location. “When I first started was the time that Milwaukee Street had just been started”. He was big part of the action as Whiskey Bar's Assistant Manager when it first opened back in July 2009 and couldn't be happier to “return to the Whiskey Bar family, seeing that I love everyone here – great staff, great people, and it feels like home”.

Any new plans for The Belmont Tavern? Joel has many and wants to make sure “everybody enjoys their drink and have smiles on their face”. Simple and straightforward, a plan he will execute with the trifecta of “passion, perfection and presentation”. Joel can't wait for Spring/ Summer to “open up the whole bar” with the floor to ceiling windows that open up completely towards the street, keeping it friendly to live music, a mature after-work crowd, and amping up the late-night life. With his previous experience on tropical beaches in Naples, Miami and St. Lucia, his vision is “to just replace the sand with the streets” and redesign the happy hour scene in Milwaukee's downtown.

Joel is so extremely nice, easygoing and unpretentiously knowledgeable – a guy you'd happily go out and grab a drink with, a guy you'd fully entrust with making even your most persnickety friend's complicated cocktail and a guy you'd be happy to know is behind your favorite local bar. He makes everyone feel at home because this is his home - “I absolutely love the people of Milwaukee – the Midwest - everybody's nice and everybody gets along with everyone else”.

Be sure to stop by The Belmont Tavern sometime soon, stay for a drink, and start up a conversation with GM Joel C. Harris, the new man in charge.  #showmetheway