Cruise for brews this summer! Take a Tour de Milwaukee with our beer garden itinerary, a summertime guide to five (or seven if you’re along for an extended ride) Milwaukee beer gardens. With Wisconsin Bike Week kicking into gear at the beginning of June, there’s never been a better excuse to break out the bike or rent a Bublr for the afternoon and explore the many beer gardens that rest just off the Oak Leaf Trail throughout the city.
Please enjoy responsibly.
Prologue: Bublr & Brews Beer Trail
Before you stretch out your legs on the Oak Leaf Trail, warm up for the season with the Bublr & Brews Beer Trail in Walker’s Point. Hop on a Bublr bike from one of the 100+ stations across Milwaukee and visit some of the neighborhood’s sensational breweries: MobCraft Beer, Indeed Brewing and Broken Bat Beer Company, all located within a mile of each other for your chance to win.
Starting on Saturday, June 1, pedal your way to any of the breweries to collect your punch card. Then, order your favorite sudsy brew at each of the three taprooms to fill up your punch card.
Once you’ve completed the trail, just drop your punch card off at any of the participating breweries by June 9 for your chance to win a quarter barrel party for you and your crew from MobCraft Beer and Indeed Brewing or a two-hour rental of Broken Bat Brewing Co.’s brewery-adjacent indoor wiffle ball field.
You’ve got a week to see all three breweries. Let’s brew this!
Tour de Milwaukee: A Cycling Beer Garden Itinerary
From the North Shore to downtown, a tour of Milwaukee’s beer gardens is only a 7.5-mile ride. Along the way, you’ll see several of the city’s iconic landmarks, parks and magnificent skyline views en route to a selection of golden brews. Whether you’ve got your own set of wheels or you’re renting a Bublr bike for the first time, the Oak Leaf Trail is a great place to start your ride.
A nearly 6-mile multi-purposed path on the trail runs from downtown to the North Shore. This entire route is flat and almost entirely closed to traffic, making it an easy cruise to a brew near you. Let’s ride!
Estabrook Beer Garden (Start: 0.0 miles)
The journey of a thousand pedal strokes begins with a single beer garden. A fitting starting point for this itinerary, Estabrook Beer Garden was the country’s first public beer garden since prohibition. Located right along the Milwaukee River, with lush green open spaces is a beautiful place to begin.
In addition to relaxing riverside views and authentic German beer garden vibes, the park also includes a softball diamond, a dog park, a skate park, a disc golf course, a playground for kids and plenty of parking, if you want to make this itinerary a round 15-mile out-and-back.
Serving a selection of the German brewery Hofbräu München, a selection of local brews, along with seltzers, ciders, wines, soft drinks and German-inspired dining options, you can have a brew with a view at Estabrook Park.
Hubbard Park Lodge & Beer Garden (1.43 miles)
On your bike, and away we go! The Hubbard Park Lodge & Beer Garden is an easy cruise to more brews on the Oak Leaf Trail. Cross Estabrook Parkway to hop on the trail and pedal your way to Shorewood to find the Hubbard Park Lodge & Beer Garden. With a special entrance on the trail, the beer garden feels like an enchanted forest, tucked away off the beaten path, except better. This enchanted forest has beer.
Like Estabrook Park, the Hubbard Park Lodge & Beer Garden is also situated alongside the Milwaukee River, but beyond the cool riverside sights, the atmosphere couldn’t be more different. Where Estabrook’s beer garden is a humongous open space in an activity-driven park, the Hubbard Park Lodge & Beer Garden has a cozy, more intimate, camp-like vibe.
Here, too, the beers on offer include a selection of Hofbräuhaus and a stable of several local beers from across the state. Here, there are also mixed drinks, wine, soft drinks and Usinger’s products. Grab yourself a Polish sausage or half-liter of beer and enjoy the sights in this wooded oasis.
Juneau Park Beer Garden (5 miles)
The furthest ride of the day marks the halfway point of the Tour de Milwaukee in the shadow of the city’s skyline at the popular Juneau Park. Founded in 1861, Juneau Park is named after one of the founders of Milwaukee and the city’s first mayor, Solomon Juneau. Complete with a statue created in his likeness and a replica of Juneau’s first log cabin, the park is at the crossroads of the bustling Cathedral Square and East Side neighborhoods.
Perched just on a bluff above the lakefront, the cozy beer garden on a hill offers a sensational selection of brews from a variety of local breweries, including Third Space Brewing, Lakefront Brewery, Miller Brewing Company as well as beers from across the country.
Roundhouse Beer Garden at McKinley Marina (6.3 Miles)
The next stop takes you along the waters of Lake Michigan to the public boat launch. Let your afternoon set sail with the serene backdrop of sailboats, gliding on the lake. The space offers plenty of outdoor picnic-style seating, with food and drinks available for purchase inside the Roundhouse.
While you’re sitting on the dock of the bay at this waterside hideaway, you can choose from a selection of local craft beers and even a boozie slushie, in addition to menu items like the Caprese sandwich and a turkey club. Grab a bite or a brew and let the day float away at the Roundhouse Beer Garden.
But wait! There’s more. The beer garden features live music every Monday and Friday night, from 5-8 p.m.
The War Memorial Beer Garden (Finish: 7.5 miles)
Close out the ride with an easy glide down the Oak Leaf Trail to finish with a flourish with the stunning backdrop of the Milwaukee skyline, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the War Memorial Center in your sights. Located just on the other side of Veterans Park, make your way to the parking lot of the War Memorial Center to reach the finish line.
The War Memorial Center boasts sweeping sights of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee horizon just steps away from downtown, the Henry Maier Festival Grounds, the miles of trails at Lakeshore State Park and so much more.
But beyond the majestic city sights, what makes this beer garden unique is its loaded brats. From the classic Oktoberfest brat with schmear, kraut, bacon and brown mustard to the unique culinary creation of the National, a Polish sausage with red cabbage and cheese curds, these delightful dishes aren’t to be missed.
Add to it a selection Hofbräuhaus beers, local brews and live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m., and it’s the perfect place to complete the Tour de Milwaukee.
A Few Extra Miles of Smiles
Not done yet?! Well, if you have the legs, here are a few extra beer gardens to tack onto your itinerary.
Victory Lap: South Shore Terrace Kitchen & Beer Garden (12.4 miles)
A beer garden worth the distance if you can make the trip, the South Shore Terrace Kitchen & Beer Garden is one of the city’s most popular. With a public beach just steps away, a trail that runs right past and spectacular skyline views, this is one great place to grab a brew.
The Miller beer garden offers MillerCoors products along with a surprisingly deep menu of chicken sandwiches, burgers, curds, BBQ pork and wings in addition to brats and Bavarian pretzels.
Cool Down: The Vine Humboldt Park Beer Garden (15.5 miles)
Got a little left in the tank? The Vine Humboldt Beer Garden is a teensy 3 miles away; a quick trip down the Oak Leaf Trail and wind your way to Oklahoma Avenue to find The Vine. Located in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, you can enjoy a craft beer under the cover of the historic farmhouse building or chill on the park’s hills under wide-open skies, watching the planes at the nearby Mitchell International Airport come in for a landing.
Beers here include local favorites like Lakefront Brewery, Third Space Brewing and Milwaukee Brewing Company, as well as a selection of beverages from across the state and around the country.
Throughout the year, be sure to stop back at The Vine at Humboldt Park for Chill on the Hill every Tuesday night from June 6 to August 29, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Go Long
If you’re still going, here there’s even more beer garden fun to be had in Milwaukee!
