Pabst Brewhouse, Milwaukee, WI – November 2013

We’ve just returned from our third annual trip to Milwaukee, WI. With great food, beer and culture, and just over an hour’s drive from Chicago, it’s a perfect city to spend a long weekend. Of course, we revisited some of our past favorites (Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge; Coquette Cafe) but also spent some time exploring new things.

Here are some of our favorites from this trip:
– Pfister Hotel: We lucked out using Hotwire and got a great rate for this historic hotel, opened in 1893 in downtown Milwaukee (centrally located, a short walk to all downtown attractions and the Historic Third Ward).
– Pabst Brewery and Milwaukee Brewing Company tours:
Having toured the Miller and Lakefront breweries in the past, we decided to check out new places this time. Since Pabst is no longer produced at the Pabst Brewery, the Pabst tour focused on the history of the brewery and its importance in Milwaukee and US beer-making culture – very insightful and entertaining.
We ended up doing the “open house” option (offered every Saturday) at the Milwaukee Brewing Company, since the regular tours were sold out . This turned out to be a more unique experience: $15 got us a mini-tour of the facilities, a souvenir pint glass, and 2 hours of unlimited sampling!
– Grohmann Museum: a great little find, this museum (part of the Milwaukee School of Engineering) has the world’s largest art collection dedicated to the evolution of human work – mostly Dutch, German, and French paintings, stained glass windows, and a rooftop sculpture garden.
– Blue Jacket (dinner): A restaurant focusing on “third coast” products. Inventive flavors, original cocktails (my whiskey had been butter-washed), all-in-all a great meal.
– The Noble (brunch): We went for their Monday Brunch – the only day brunch is served, recommended by our bartender at Bryant’s. Get there right when they open as this 30-seat place gets busy quickly.