Spend a Long Weekend on the Brew City Trail with Lizanne Donner and Eric Johnston

Milwaukee’s Brew City story is bigger than a pint, and Lizanne Donner and Eric Johnston witnessed it firsthand. The Midwest couple spent their weekend putting their RV life on pause to experience the history, neighborhoods and people behind Milwaukee’s brewing culture, mixing legendary names with independent breweries, classic beer gardens and plenty of stops beyond the taproom. 

Here’s how to spend your long weekend on the Brew City Trail. 

Day 1: Beer Gardens & Local Brews 

Check Into Brewing History 

Make the beer theme part of your stay at Brewhouse Inn & Suites, located inside the former Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery. Historic brewing details remain throughout the all-suite hotel, putting you in the heart of Milwaukee’s Brewery District. 
 

Get a Taste of Milwaukee’s German Heritage 

Start the weekend at Kegel’s Inn, a family-owned Milwaukee institution serving German favorites for more than a century. Grab a table in the beer garden and enjoy some schnitzel, bratwurst, fish fry and a cold beer. 
 

Say “Ope!” to a Milwaukee Brew 

Head to Ope! Brewing Co. in West Allis. The brewery pairs its expansive taproom with a half-acre outdoor beer garden where you can sip locally brewed beer while playing volleyball, cornhole or bocce and listening to live music. 

Day 2: Beer Barons, Craft Brewing & a Friday Fish Fry 

Fuel Up in Walker’s Point 

Start the morning with coffee at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. in Walker’s Point. If you have time, wander the neighborhood to discover murals, public art and colorful landmarks tucked among its historic industrial buildings. 
 

Find Milwaukee’s Beer Barons 

Head to Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum for a different perspective on Brew City history. Established in 1850, the grounds are the final resting place of some of the names that helped build Milwaukee, including several of the city’s famous beer barons. Turn the visit into a scavenger hunt and see how many you can find. 
 

Lunch With a Local Brew 

Stop at The Explorium Brewpub in the Historic Third Ward for lunch alongside one of its small-batch, house-made beers. 
 

Find a Beer Garden Hidden Along the River 

Make your way to Hubbard Park Lodge & Beer Garden, tucked along the Milwaukee River and Oak Leaf Trail in Shorewood. Its wooded setting and German and local beer selection make it feel like a hidden escape just outside downtown. 
 

Discover Milwaukee’s Craft Brewing Roots 

At Sprecher Brewery, learn about the brewery that helped usher in Milwaukee’s modern craft era. Founded in 1985, Sprecher is known for its fire-brewing process and lineup of craft beers and sodas. 
 

Do Friday Night the Milwaukee Way 

Finish the day at Lakefront Brewery with a brewery tour followed by its famous Friday fish fry and polka dancing evening. Add an order of cheese curds and a pint, and you’ve got a night that feels distinctly Milwaukee.  

Day 3: Pabst Past & Present 

Start Along the Fresh Coast 

Before diving back into Brew City, head north of downtown for a morning at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. Explore trails winding through forests, prairies and ponds before reaching the Lake Michigan shoreline. 
 

Go Back to Where Pabst Was Brewed 

Return to the Brewery District for coffee and a tour at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery. Located within the former Pabst complex, Best Place preserves the architecture and stories of the brewery that once helped make Milwaukee famous around the world. 
 

See What’s Brewing in Downtown 

Grab lunch at Draft & Co. at Vel R. Phillips Plaza, where dozens of draft lines pour beer, cocktails, wine and nonalcoholic options alongside a menu of smashburgers and bites. 
 

Meet the Man Behind the Blue Ribbon 

Continue the Pabst story at the Pabst Mansion, completed in 1892 for Captain Frederick Pabst and his wife, Maria. The Gilded Age mansion offers a look at the family behind the brewing empire through ornate interiors, craftsmanship, furnishings and art. 
 

Experience Brew City’s Next Generation 

Wrap up the day at Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side. Founded in 2017, Eagle Park represents a new generation of Milwaukee makers with house-made beer, spirits, seltzers and cocktails served inside a historic Cream City brick building. 

Day 4: One Last Milwaukee Sip 

Coffee Before You Go 

Before heading home, make one final stop at Discourse Coffee downtown. Known for approaching coffee with the creativity of a cocktail bar, Discourse serves imaginative drinks that prove Milwaukee’s beverage culture stretches well beyond beer. 
 

Take a page from their trip, choose the stops that speak to you and start exploring the Brew City Trail presented by Miller High Life.

Hop Aboard the Brew City Trail with Lizanne and Eric

Explore the Brew City Trail