Cicerone-led craft beer for your group, on a night the whole bar belongs to you. Birthdays, anniversaries, work meetups, D&D nights, brewer gatherings — we’ve hosted them all.
Private events at Garth’s Brew Bar
~30
Comfortable capacity
16+
Taps + nitro options
BYO
Food allowed
$0
Room rental fee
How private events work at Garth’s
The bar holds about 30 people comfortably. Most private events at Garth’s happen on Monday nights when we’re regularly closed, or before/after open hours on other days. That gives your group the entire space — bar, lounge, board games, all 16 taps — without sharing with walk-ins.
There’s no rental fee. You pay for the beer your group drinks (cash bar or open tab, your call), and we’ll handle the rest. Bring your own food, or have it delivered to the door — we don’t run a kitchen, so we don’t compete with whatever you brought.
Want it more beer-forward? Garth or one of our Cicerone-trained beertenders can guide a tasting flight for the group — pick a theme (Wisconsin breweries, hazies, sours, lagers) or build one with us. That part is optional and runs about $15/person.
What people host here
Birthdays + anniversaries
Buy out the bar for a 30th, 40th, or anniversary. Bring a cake or a caterer. We’ll set up a welcome flight and rotate taps you specifically wanted on.
Work + team meetups
Quiet bar, no TVs, no shouting. Great for engineering team nights, off-sites, client dinners that aren’t dinners. Cicerone tasting works well as an icebreaker.
D&D + game nights
We have the long tables, the board game shelf, and the patience for a six-hour campaign. Cold brew nitro for the DM who’s not drinking.
Brewer + industry meetups
Madison brewery teams, Cicerone study groups, and visiting brewers all gather here. The taps respect the room — we’ll dial in the lineup for your crew.
When private events happen
We don’t typically close during regular hours for private events — we’d rather keep the bar open for the neighborhood. Most private events happen:
- Monday nights — the bar is closed, so you have the full space and full attention
- Tuesday–Thursday before 5pm — the bar opens at 5, but a private event from, say, 2–5pm works great
- Friday–Sunday before or after open hours — same idea; we can open early or stay later for your group
Have a different time in mind? Ask. Garth answers email himself.
Plan your event
Email Garth directly with your group size, target date(s), and whether you want a guided tasting. He’ll come back same-day with a quote.
Email heythere@garthsbrewbar.com
1726 Monroe Street, Madison, WI 53711 · No phone (we keep it offline so we can focus on the beer)
Quick questions
What’s the deposit?
None for groups under 25. For full-buyout events we usually ask for a small refundable deposit closer to the date to hold the time.
Can we bring our own beer?
No — Wisconsin liquor license keeps that one off the table. But with 16 rotating taps, 95+ cans and bottles, and the ability to pre-order anything we don’t normally carry, we can usually find what your group wants.
Can we bring food?
Absolutely. That’s our default. Order from Pizza Brutta down the block, have a caterer drop off, pack a sandwich tray. We have plates, napkins, and a table for food setup.
Is it kid-friendly?
Yes for events before 8pm. We welcome guests of all ages — quiet bar, board games, no sports TVs.
Wheelchair accessible?
Yes — the entrance, seating, restroom, and the parking out back are all wheelchair accessible.
Can you host a Cicerone tasting + training?
Yes. Garth runs Cicerone Beer Server prep groups and themed tastings for private clients. See the tastings & trainings page for the format.