Milwaukee Brewing History from Pabst to Craft

If you want to experience Milwaukee brewing history beyond the pages of a book, join one of our brewery and bar tours and raise a glass to the city that earned the nickname “Brew City.” Along the way, you can sample local drinks, explore historic neighborhoods and taverns and hear the stories behind Milwaukee’s legendary beer culture. Whether you’re a lifelong beer fan or simply curious about what makes Milwaukee so special, there is no better way to experience the city’s brewing heritage than by tasting it for yourself.

Join us on one of our beer-inspired tours! Our Pre-Prohibition Historic Bar Tour is a fan favorite, featuring stops at Milwaukee’s many historic bars.

Why Milwaukee Is Known as Brew City

Milwaukee’s reputation as a beer town goes back nearly two centuries where long before craft breweries and trendy taprooms became part of the city’s food and drink scene. Milwaukee was home to a thriving brewing industry that transformed the city into an important national center of beer production.

What Makes Milwaukee Such a Great Place to Brew Beer?

The city had many of the ingredients brewers needed, Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River provided important transportation routes, while the area’s natural springs provided fresh water. And before modern refrigeration, ice from nearby lakes and rivers was essential for brewing and storing beer. Milwaukee’s landscape also offered cool underground spaces that could be used for lagering.

But geography was only part of the story. There were also many German immigrants who brought brewing traditions and techniques with them in the 19th century. They also brought a culture of beer gardens, taverns, food and social gatherings. So beer quickly became part of everyday life in Milwaukee, not just a product to be sold but a way for people to come together.

And by the mid-19th century, Milwaukee’s brewing industry was already booming and by 1859, Milwaukee had at least 35 independent breweries. 

Want to know more about the best beer gardens in Milwaukee? Check out where you can find the best Milwaukee beer gardens.

The Iconic Breweries That Put Milwaukee on the Map

When we talk about Milwaukee’s brewing history, four iconic German last names always top the list: Pabst, Schlitz, Miller, and Blatz. What started as small neighborhood breweries quickly grew into national powerhouses and earned our hometown its rightful title as Brew City.

Pabst Brewing Company: From Jacob Best to Captain Pabst and the Blue Ribbon Legacy

The Pabst story begins in 1844, when Jacob Best established a brewery in Milwaukee. Frederick Pabst later became a key figure in the company’s growth, and the brewery officially became the Pabst Brewing Company in 1889. Pabst was also responsible for one of the most recognizable names in American beer. Pabst Select became Pabst Blue Ribbon in 1898, with the famous blue ribbon helping establish the brand’s identity.

The Pabst legacy can still be seen throughout Milwaukee. The Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, Pabst Mansion and Pabst Theater all tell part of the story of the family and brewery that helped shape the city. 

Step into beer history at the Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery! Beyond their iconic beer history tours, they have daytime cafe where you can grab a locally roasted Anodyne Coffee, sample a signature espresso cocktail, and marvel at the classic German-style woodwork.

Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company: The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous

Schlitz brewery’s roots go back to 1849, when August Krug established a small Milwaukee brewery. After Krug’s death, Joseph Schlitz took over and helped transform the business into a national powerhouse. By 1902, Schlitz had become the largest brewery in the United States. Its famous slogan, “the beer that made Milwaukee famous,” became closely connected with the city’s identity as Brew City.

Valentin Blatz Brewing Company: Innovation and Expansion in Brew City

Valentin Blatz helped transform a neighborhood brewery into one of Milwaukee’s major brewing companies. Blatz operated from 1851 to 1959 and became particularly important to the development of bottled beer. By the 1870s, the brewery was an early leader in large-scale bottled beer production, helping Milwaukee beer reach consumers beyond the city. 

Miller Brewing Company: A Milwaukee Brewing Institution

Frederick J. Miller arrived in the United States from Germany in 1854. Two years later, he purchased the Plank Road brewery on Milwaukee’s west side. That brewery would eventually become the foundation of Miller Brewing Company and the area known as Miller Valley.

Miller High Life arrived in 1903, adding another iconic name to Milwaukee’s beer story. More than a century later, Miller’s roots remain closely associated with Milwaukee and the west side brewery campus where the company’s local story began.

Believe it or not: Miller High Life is still being brewed at Miller’s original Plank Road brewery today using the original 1903 recipe. 

How Prohibition Changed Milwaukee Beer & The Return of Milwaukee Breweries

Milwaukee’s brewing industry faced one of its biggest challenges when Prohibition began in 1920. Breweries could no longer legally produce traditional alcoholic beer, forcing companies to find other ways to survive. Milwaukee breweries turned to products including cheese, soda, near beer and malt syrup.

When Prohibition ended in 1933, breweries could once again produce beer legally. However, the industry eventually changed dramatically. Consolidation, shifting consumer tastes and other economic pressures meant that Milwaukee’s once-crowded brewing landscape would look very different in the decades that followed.

Want to learn more about Prohibition in Milwaukee? Join us on our Pre-Prohibition Historic Bar Tour.

Sprecher Brewery: Brew City’s Original Craft Pioneer

After prohibition ended, a new chapter began with the rise of craft brewing. Sprecher Brewery opened in 1985, helping launch Milwaukee’s modern craft brewing era. While Sprecher brews several delicious beers including their Special Amber (a Vienna-style lager) and Black Bavarian (a German-inspired Schwarzbier), they are also nationally recognized as for their root beer and craft sodas. Today, they even produce more root beer than all their beer combined. 

Lakefront Brewery: Tradition, Innovation & Pure Milwaukee Character

Lakefront Brewery sold its first barrel in 1987. Lakefront Brewery also continues to brew their same award-winning traditional styles they were founded on such as the Riverwest Stein (an amber lager) and Eastside Dark (a dark lager) while being major innovators in the beer industry. One example of this is their New Grist Gluten-Free Pilsner, which was the first commercially produced gluten-free beer to receive official government approval in the United States. Today, over 80,000 people take their popular brewery tour per year and they continue to produce a mix of traditional beer styles, experimental styles and even non-alcoholic beer varieties.

These two craft breweries, among others, have helped reconnect Milwaukee with its earlier tradition of smaller, locally focused breweries. Today, beer lovers can find Milwaukee breweries producing everything from traditional lagers and ales to IPAs, barrel-aged beers, seasonal releases and creative experimental brews.

Experience Milwaukee’s Brewing History Today

The best thing about Milwaukee’s beer history is that it is not confined to a museum. You can walk through historic neighborhoods where breweries once operated. You can visit former brewery sites. You can enjoy a beer in a tavern that has been part of the city’s social fabric for generations. And, of course, you can visit today’s Milwaukee breweries to see how local brewers are carrying the tradition forward.

On our Pre-Prohibition Historic Bar Tour, guests can visit historic Milwaukee drinking establishments, sample brews, snacks and cocktails, and learn about the colorful pre-Prohibition era. The experience combines Milwaukee history with the food and drink that helped shape the city.

For groups looking for a more customized Milwaukee beer experience, Milwaukee Food & City Tours also offers private experiences for celebrations, corporate groups, and bachelorette parties.

Ready to experience Brew City for yourself? Join Milwaukee Food & City Tours on one of our Brewery & Bar Tours and discover the history, flavors and neighborhoods that make Milwaukee one of America’s great beer cities.

Check our tour calendar for more availability.

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