Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the largest city in the state and the center of a large percentage of the state’s economic activity. Harley- Davison was founded in Milwaukee and the city was once widely regarded for its manufacturing prowess. The city is also known for beer and it was once home to the largest brewery in the United States. That famous brewing operation is none other than Pabst and the historic brewery’s glory days are on display at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, located at 901 W. Juneau Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Historic Attributes
Best Place is a preservation of certain sections of the once massive Pabst Brewery. Pabst Brewery’s history goes all the way back to 1844 when Jacob Best Sr. founded the company. His son Phillip Best took over leadership of the brewery and, along with Phillip Best’s son in law, Frederick Pabst, the Pabst brewery as it was later known, was well on its way to brewing dominance.
Pabst Brewing once employed thousands and its buildings comprised multiple city blocks. Best Place has restored some of the original buildings and meeting spaces, which today consist of Blue Ribbon Hall, Captain’s Corner, The Great Hall, Captain’s Courtyard, Guest Center, Kings Courtyard, and a Gift Shop. The facility offers guided tours every day of the week except Tuesdays.
Fill Your Glass
Part of any historic brewery visit is, of course, sampling beer. There is no actual brewery at Best Place, but they keep the taps flowing and encourage fill- ups as you tour the different buildings. Guests can grab a glass of Pabst Blue Ribbon or other Pabst beer. Or, if craft beer is your choice, you can select among ten or so different Wisconsin- brewed beers.
Forward to the Future
Pabst Brewing is a Milwaukee institution. With a history that dates back nearly 175 years, Pabst helped establish Milwaukee as the beer capital of the United States and helped solidify the area’s reputation for beer- a reputation that still lives to this day.
Pabst glory days are mostly in the past, but there is much to learn at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery and the best way to get to know Best Place and the history of Pabst Brewing is to take one of the tours. I took a tour myself and what struck me most about the actual tour was the tour guide’s obvious enthusiasm for the Pabst Brewing Company and the local pride that Milwaukee natives still have and still feel for all things Pabst. The tour was especially informative and I learned many things about Pabst that I did not know previously. Facts surrounding the naming of Pabst and eventual shift of control from the Best family to the Pabst family; the winning of a Blue Ribbon; and the role that hipsters played in saving Pabst beer from extinction are among the many things you discover on this excellent tour.
Walking through the different spaces in this preserved space, one gets an idea what working life and beer drinking must have been like for folks back in the late 19th and early 20th century. Beer was clearly an important part of life for Milwaukee residents and this fact was even truer for employees at Pabst. Captain Frederick Pabst was quite the generous man with his employees, lavishing them with year- end bonuses and beer, which could also be consumed on the job. I can only imagine what a day in the life of a Pabst employee must have been like- Wake up, open up a can of beer, head to work, drink more beer, come home with cans of beer in hand, and drink a little more. Wake up tomorrow, and repeat the process.
Best Place serves beer to tour guests every step of the way and while they do serve many local craft beers, I recommend trying some of the Pabst beer options. I turned down the craft options myself and tried Pabst Pale Ale for the first time when I was here. I had never tasted this newer member of the Pabst family before and it was cool to finally take a swig. I was happy to discover that, with this American Pale Ale, Pabst is branching out beyond its flagship Blue Ribbon lager, but what really blew me away was finding out that Best Place serves Andecker on tap. I used to live in Wisconsin and I can remember hearing the name Andecker when I was a kid. I thought this brand was long gone and I discovered that it was, in fact, discontinued years ago, but has been revived and is now brewed here in Milwaukee. When you visit Best place, I recommend grabbing a serving of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Andecker, or other Pabst brew. Sure, you could go with a craft beer and many will be tempted to do so, but I say go for nostalgia and select something brewed by Pabst. It’s a fitting beer to drink as you wander through this historic space and soak up the history. It helps get you in the right frame of mind as you learn about the brand and why it has been so endearing for so long.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin has changed in many ways. It isn’t quite the manufacturing powerhouse that it was in the days of yesteryear and massive breweries like Pabst no longer dominate the city like they once did. But Milwaukee will always be synonymous with beer and Pabst Brewing will always be part of Milwaukee. The importance of Pabst to Milwaukee’s history and culture are brought back to life here at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery and it’s a must- visit attraction for all. So be sure to visit Best Place the next time you’re in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
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