MILWAUKEE, Wisc., Aug. 12, 2025 — Hanna Lee Communications (HLC), an award-winning multimedia PR/marketing agency specializing in hospitality and luxury travel, today announces Wisconsin Bartender Week (Aug. 18-24, 2025), the first-ever U.S. expansion of the agency's Worldwide Bartender Week. The week-long festival is being stewarded by PufferFish, a tropical rooftop bar in downtown Milwaukee, that brings together the state's vibrant bartending community through events and a cocktail promotion for consumers showcasing local spirits.  

Dedicated to celebrating the art of bartending and the unique flavors of the state, Wisconsin Bartender Week spurs the bar community and cocktail enthusiasts to support local businesses and showcase their rich culinary and drinks heritage. Its mission is to nurture cocktail tourism and drive economic development.

Led by a Dynamic Hospitality Duo in Milwaukee

The week-long celebration is organized by PufferFish's co-owners Jc and Monique Cunningham. It celebrates storytelling as the common thread that ties Wisconsin's drinks community together, showcasing the compelling narratives of its people, products and places. Jc Cunningham brings more than 20 years of bartending and bar management experience, having honed his craft in San Francisco before making Milwaukee home. Monique Cunningham complements the team with a decade of experience in hospitality-adjacent roles, specializing in social media marketing and event coordination.

Participating Bars and Sponsors

Participating bars include: 

• Milwaukee: PufferFish, Agency, Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, Buckley's Restaurant & Bar, Copper Turtle, Discourse, Glassnote Candle Bar, Haven Cafe, La Piña, Lost Whale, Oggie's Kitchen & Bar, The Loon Room, The Wolf on Broadway, Tin Window, Uncle Wolfie's Breakfast Tavern
• Madison: Lola's Hi/Lo Lounge, Mint Mark, Muskellounge and Sporting Club, Public Parking, The Robin Room
• Appleton: Commodore Club
• Greenfield: Holey Mackerel!
• West Allis: Station No.06
• Neenah: Town Council Kitchen and Bar
• Cedarburg: Union House
• Baraboo: Wiscocktail Lounge

Participating sponsors include:

• Bittercube, Central Standard, Dancing Goat Distillery, Heaven Hill, J. Henry & Sons, La Crosse Distilling Co., Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee Public Market, U.S. Bartenders Guild Milwaukee and Sound by Design.

An Expansion of New York Bartender Week

The annual “Bartender Week” initiative launched last year with New York Bartender Week. It is expanding to other cities in the U.S. and globally with localized activations in 2025, as part of Worldwide Bartender Week. With India Bartender Week having launched earlier this year, upcoming festivals include Kenya Bartender Week (Sept. 2-8, 2025) and the second edition of New York Bartender Week (Nov. 17-23, 2025).

“We are thrilled to stage Bartender Week in Wisconsin and shine a spotlight on the incredible talent within our state's bar community,” says Jc Cunningham, owner, PufferFish. “What Hanna Lee Communications has built with New York Bartender Week is a phenomenal platform for highlighting vibrant, emerging markets like Milwaukee and Madison.”

“We raise a glass to Wisconsin Bartender Week and are proud to see the state become Bartender Week's first expansion within the U.S.,” says Hanna Lee, President & Founder, Hanna Lee Communications. “Together with incredible local partners like Jc and Monique Cunningham, we are building a movement that honors bartending as a noble profession to electrify bar communities across the U.S. and, ultimately, worldwide.”

Wisconsin Bartender Week at a Glance

• Monday, Aug. 18 - Kick-Off Gala

• • Join us for an exclusive evening celebrating the bars, bartenders, and sponsors making this week truly unforgettable! Mingle, sip, and toast to what's ahead.
    • Milwaukee Public Market, 7pm to 10pm

• Tuesday, Aug. 19 - The Ultimate Bar Swap

• • Some of Madison and Milwaukee's hottest spots are swapping and shaking things up! Lola's Hi/Lo Lounge, The Robin Room and Muskellounge team up with PufferFish, Lost Whale and Bryant's Cocktail Lounge for a city-wide cross-over bar takeover!
    • Madison + Milwaukee

• Wednesday, Aug. 20 - A Spirited Tasting Experience

• • Take off with the Milwaukee U.S. Bartenders' Guild as curated whiskey and spirit flights from Wisconsin's finest are explored: La Cross Distilling Co., Dancing Goat, J. Henry & Sons and Central Standard. Spirits experts will guide attendees on how to taste like a pro.
    • Milwaukee Public Market, 5:30pm to 7:30pm

• Thursday, Aug. 21 - Cheers to 11½ Years

• • A “not-quite-twelve” celebration that will never be forgotten with the Eleven-and-a-Half Anniversary Party and Barrel Gin Release featuring the bold, beautiful spirits of Dancing Goat Distillery. 
    • Tin Widow, 6pm to close

• Friday, Aug. 22 / Saturday, Aug. 23 - Sip Local, Support Local

• • Participating bars across the state are shaking things up with Wisconsin-inspired signature cocktails, each one a toast to Wisconsin's roots, its craft and bar community. Attendees will taste the spirit of Wisconsin, one bar at a time.
    • Bars throughout Wisconsin

• Sunday, Aug. 24 – Last Call, The Final Final

• • A send-off event with sponsored flowing cocktails, unmatched energy and legendary vibes. Attendees will raise a glass or two to the crews that made the festival possible.
    • PufferFish, 4pm to 9pm
      
      

About New York Bartender Week and Worldwide Bartender Week

New York Bartender Week (NYBW) is a first-of-its-kind annual celebration of the bar community and bar professionals in New York City and across New York State. Created and produced by Hanna Lee Communications, an award-winning multimedia PR/marketing agency specializing in hospitality and luxury travel, its second edition will take place Nov. 17-23, 2025. The festival's mission is to spur cocktail tourism and economic development by spotlighting the Big Apple and the Empire State as world-class destinations for drinks and saluting bartending as a noble career path. Celebrating storytelling as the common thread that unites the bar community, New York Bartender Week will expand across the U.S. and globally in 2025 as part of Worldwide Bartender Week. For more information, please visit New York Bartender Week on Instagram. 

About Hanna Lee Communications (HLC)

Hanna Lee Communications (HLC) is an award-winning multimedia PR/marketing agency specializing in hospitality and luxury travel. The agency, now celebrating its 21st anniversary, only represents products and companies that it believes in and that have a vision of changing the world. 

This outlook drives its well-acknowledged excellence, which has been recognized with 350+ national and international awards and accolades. They include “Best Branding,” “PR Innovator of the Year,” “Best Travel & Marketing PR,” “Best Social Media Campaign,” “Best Media Relations,” “Best Press Release Writing,” “Marketer of the Year,” “Social Impact Pioneer” and more.

To take global brand building and storytelling to the next level, the agency launched the “HLC Innovation” series consisting of pioneering initiatives that include:

• “Hospitality Forward” Podcast - We Believe Everyone Has a Story to Share!
  • With listeners in more than 160 countries, the agency's Michael Anstendig and Hanna Lee interview top journalists around the world each week. 
  • Our distinguished media guests share practical tips and insights on how listeners can get their attention and potentially be featured in their stories. 
  • This giving back to the community initiative is designed to help those who do not have a PR agency but have important expertise to share as a news source.
  • Our mission is to help industry professionals get to know these acclaimed journalists and also create a platform to spotlight media members whom we greatly admire.

• “HLC Global Bartender Travel Scholarship” - We Believe Travel Opens Minds and Palates!
  • Our agency's self-funded scholarship helps bartenders attend the cocktail conference of their choice around the world. 
  • To date, our scholars have traveled to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, London Cocktail Week and other spirited conventions worldwide.

• “HLC Book Media” - We Believe Everyone Has a Book in Them!
  • HLC Book Media is a groundbreaking division that leverages book publishing, the ultimate long-form storytelling, to help our clients reach wider audiences and create lasting legacies. 
  • Our agency's first book, The Japanese Art of the Cocktail, by Katana Kitten's Masahiro Urushido and Michael Anstendig, earned accolades and acclaim that include:
    • Winning a Spirited Award at Tales of the Cocktail
    • Nominations for James Beard Award and an IACP Award
    • Amazon Editors' Pick
    • A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2021 (Cookbooks)

• “HLC Meet the Authors” - We Believe in Long-Form Storytelling!
  • The agency's ongoing series of book signings and panel discussions spotlights top scribes we admire.
  • Our mission is to help introduce these worthy authors and their books to national and global media.
  • To date, the agency has supported more than 100 authors whose topics include food, drink, travel, biographies and business.

• “HLC Meet the Media” - We Believe in the Future of Journalism!
  • This series of panel discussions hosted at HLC 2.0 Studio spotlights journalism and is moderated by the agency's Michael Anstendig and Hanna Lee. 
  • Topics include:
    • “The Future of Drinks Journalism”
    • “The Future of Food Journalism”
    • “The Future of Travel Journalism”
    • “The Future of Hotel Journalism”
    • “The Future of Print Journalism”
    • “The Future of Broadcast Journalism”
    • “The Future of Podcast Journalism”
    • “The Future of Storytelling”
    • And others

• “HLC Inspiring Leaders” - We Believe in Fearless Leadership!
  • This ongoing series celebrates 300+ intrepid female leaders in the hospitality industry and beyond. 
  • Our agency's President & Founder Hanna Lee personally interviewed these noted trailblazers who inspired her personally and shared their business and life mottos.

For more information about our agency, please visit www.hannaleecommunications.com. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and TikTok.

About Wisconsin Bartender Week

Wisconsin Bartender Week is the first U.S. expansion of Worldwide Bartender Week, created and produced by Hanna Lee Communications, an award-winning multimedia PR/marketing agency specializing in hospitality and luxury travel. Stewarded by Milwaukee's acclaimed PufferFish, the week-long celebration will take place Aug. 18-24, 2025. Its mission is to spur cocktail tourism and economic development by spotlighting the Badger State as a world-class destination for drinks and saluting bartending as a noble career. Celebrating storytelling as the common thread that unites the bar community, Worldwide Bartender Week will activate via Wisconsin Bartender Week, Kenya Bartender Week (Sept. 2-8, 2025) and New York Bartender Week (Nov. 17-23, 2025).

About PufferFish

PufferFish is an acclaimed tropical rooftop bar that has become a standout destination in Milwaukee's cocktail scene. Now celebrating its fifth anniversary, the bar is co-owned by Jc and Monique Cunningham, a dynamic hospitality duo. PufferFish has distinguished itself by blending time-honored recipes with modern creativity. Its team believes in the magic of shared moments, whether gathering with friends, celebrating a special occasion, or simply seeking an escape. Located at 411 E. Mason St. in Milwaukee on the sixth floor of the Hotel Metro, PufferFish is open Wednesday and Thursday, 5pm-midnight and Friday and Saturday, 5pm-1am. It is closed Sunday to Tuesday. For more information, please visit pufferfishmke.com and follow us on Instagram at @pufferfish. 

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Media Contacts: 

Hanna Lee & Erica Finamore 
Hanna Lee Communications (HLC)
646-752-1526 (cell)
hanna@hannaleecommunications.com
Erica@hannaleecommunications.com