Editor’s note: This article is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best Colorado has to offer in terms of dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more (we’ll also reveal some hidden gems).
Last Sunday at Wally’s Wisconsin Tavern, a room full of Cheeseheads cheering on their beloved Green Bay Packers didn’t realize they were in the presence of Wisconsin royalty.
Kim Flitcroft of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, who was crowned 1990 Dairy Alice, was in town with her husband on a family visit. Naturally, they celebrated game day at Wally’s.
Where else in Denver could a former Dairy Alice go to see the Packers in green and gold than the best Packers bar in Colorado?
Flitcroft was too humble to mention his reign, a yearlong responsibility that involved representing the state’s agricultural sector in public appearances, but his 77-year-old mother was amused to tell me about it. No big deal, he says? I grew up in Wisconsin, so I knew what it meant and was honored to meet her.” Flitcroft is also one of 537,460 Packers “owners” who own 5.2 million shares. She pays no dividends, except for bragging rights, which are priceless.
Flitcroft loves Wally’s, filled with Wisconsin sports memorabilia and photos. A huge lighted Schlitz sign greets visitors at the front door. Flitcroft and I are old enough to remember when Schlitz was touted as “The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous.” Packers and Brewers banners hang from the ceiling, along with one that reads “Drink Wisconsinbly.”
“I like that you’re out of town, you walk into a bar and it feels like home,” Flitcroft says. “It’s awesome. When you’re a Packers fan, you’re almost another family. No matter where you go or who you are, it’s like you know each other. It’s such a special relationship that I don’t think you feel on other teams.”
That’s why I like Wally’s so much. Even though the Packers disappointed us last week, falling to the Detroit Lions in a rivalry game, we had a lot of fun.
Summer Koehn, who moved from Milwaukee to Denver 18 months ago, arrived at Wally’s four hours before kickoff to make sure she and her friends had a table.
“Everywhere you go, there are Packers fans,” Koehn said. “Isn’t it fun to come to Denver and there’s a bar specifically for that? It’s loud, it’s fun. We’re a different breed.”
They (okay, we) are. They laugh at their image and never take themselves too seriously.
“No,” Koehn asserts. “We’re Cheeseheads.”
Located in LoDo at 1417 Market St., Wally’s is attached to German restaurant Rhein Haus, which also fills up with Cheeseheads on game days. Rhein Haus was co-founded by James Weimann, a Sheboygan native who named Wally’s after his father. A huge photo taken at Wally’s wedding hangs in the bar. When Weimann launched Rhein Haus in 2015, the space now known as Wally’s was an auxiliary bar at Rhein Haus. In 2017, it adopted its own identity and Packers decor.
The menu has plenty of Wisconsin fare, such as bratwurst, cheese curds, potato pancakes, jumbo pretzels, fried pickles and the “Lombardi Burger,” an Angus beef burger with cheddar cheese topped with fried cheese curds. (Unfortunately, no Schlitz).
Flitcroft’s mother, Judy Nettesheim, and I were kids when Schlitz reigned supreme and Vince Lombardi’s Packers won five NFL championships in seven years (1961-67). We like to remind fans of other teams that the Packers, founded in 1919, have won the most NFL championships (13).
“In our family, your blood ran green and gold,” Flitcroft said. “It was our life.”
Darryle Brown grew up in Virginia but fell under the Packers’ spell when Brett Favre was quarterback. He was dressed for the game in a Packers helmet, jacket and bib overalls. From a huge chain around his neck hung a Packers medallion with a light inside.
“I like a good atmosphere,” Brown said. “It stays full with my tribe of fellow Cheeseheads. Every time we score a touchdown, the celebration is electrifying. It’s a wonderful experience.”
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