The Story Behind Our Drink Passports

Back in 2008, during a night out with friends at our local watering hole, we found ourselves talking about how the smoking ban had slowed down business for so many bars. I started wondering how we could help bring people back in and give these local spots a boost.

The Bucky Book had plenty of restaurant coupons, but nothing for bars—and because of their UW affiliation, they couldn’t include alcohol-related offers. That’s when the idea hit: why not create a two-for-one drink book just for local establishments?

I began visiting bars around the area to pitch the concept. At first, the plan was to use tear-out coupons—just like the Bucky Book—but the frugal guy in me wasn’t thrilled about paying for perforated pages. Instead, I figured each bar could simply date the offer when it was redeemed. A friend joked that it sounded like getting stamps in a passport—and that’s how the Drink Passport name was born.

A couple months later, with about 100 bars on board, the very first MadCity Cocktail Passport launched. Within weeks, our pocket-sized books were sitting on bar tops all over the county. Both customers and bar owners loved the idea. People always say they’re stopping in “for just one drink,” but somehow one turns into two—or more. Soon enough, our little book was helping fill barstools and booths everywhere it went.

Since that very first edition, we’ve expanded to include food deals, a scavenger hunt, and additional county editions. We even added monthly Dive Bar Tours for the Madison area. More than 15 years later, the fun just keeps growing.

Today, our smaller Waukesha and Rock County books feature about 50 local venues and cost only $20. Our flagship MadCity Cocktail Passport includes around 100 bars for $25 a year. Each book can save customers $750 or more in food and drink deals.

What started as a late-night idea has turned into a fun side business that supports local bars, breweries, and restaurants—bringing them more foot traffic and a welcome boost to their bottom line every year. We’re regularly featured on local news and radio stations each December when the new edition launches, and our annual launch parties draw big crowds eager to redeem their scavenger hunt photos for raffle tickets and a chance to win up to $250 in prizes and gift certificates.

“I’m not sure what the future holds for this little pocket-sized passport, but I’m excited to find out!”
– Greg M.