Today’s activities around Milwaukee center on brews and boats but first we had to fuel up for the day. We had an excellent breakfast of omelets & french toast with specialty coffee and smoothies at the Gingerbread House in Muskego, a 1885 farm house turned restaurant and wine bar.
The farm house vibe was enhanced not only by the authentic made from scratch home style cooking but the chickens and roosters wandering around the property!
Our first stop was the Pabst Mansion to learn more about the history and lifestyle of one of the several successful brewers that put Milwaukee on the map as the ‘beer capital of the world’. Captain Frederick Pabst married Maria, the daughter of Philip Best, son of one of the founders of the fledgling Best and Company Brewers who upon emigrating from Germany set up a new beer making venture in Milwaukee. In 1864, Pabst purchased a half interest in the brewery and became its vice president. His brother-in-law joined him in the business when his father-in-law died, and the two men significantly grew production and leveraged marketing to build a loyal customer base. The Philip Best Brewing Company established a reputation for embracing the latest technology in production; for example, artificial ice machines were added in 1880, incandescent lights in 1882 and the facility was one of the first breweries to open itself for public tours. When his brother-in-law died in 1888, Pabst became sole owner of the brewing empire and officially changed the name to the Pabst Brewing Company.
Frederick and Maria Pabst began construction of their new family mansion in June 1890, on swanky Grand Avenue in downtown Milwaukee; two years later it was completed at a cost of just over $254,000. The Pabsts were consummate collectors and adorned their home with rare and priceless art. Given their prominence in Milwaukee society, the house was often the scene of many fine parties and receptions, a wedding and, finally, Captain and Mrs. Pabst’s funerals.
Today the mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places but it narrowly escaped demolition for a nearby hotel’s parking lot in the mid 1970s. The Pabst descendants sold the house in 1908 to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and it became the archbishop’s residence for the next 67 years. This was fortunate because except for some painting, the house was well maintained in its original condition. The Archdiocese sold the mansion to a developer who wanted the land for a parking lot but a preservation group was able to raise sufficient funds to buy the property and open it to the public as a museum. Today revenues for the Pabst Mansion’s continued success and ongoing restoration come from admissions, merchandise sales, events, grants, donations and memberships. Much of the decor and furnishings in the museum are original and the 90 minute tour of the home encompasses the main living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and dining areas.
After immersing ourselves in late 19th century grandeur, we were ready to experience the waterfront and the everyday activities of common folk. We visited the North Point Lighthouse and Museum, located on a bluff above the lake but surprisingly not very close to the water. The structure has an interesting history that explains its location. The first lighthouse was built in 1855 but was located too close to the edge of the eroding bluff so in 1888 a new cast-iron lighthouse was built farther inland. Unfortunately, the tower was not tall enough to be of use to passing ships, so in 1912 it was raised to its present height by adding steel structure to the base. The light is automated and still in use and, in addition to being a navigation aide, houses a small museum in the former keeper’s quarters.
We climbed the 84 steps to the lantern house atop the tower for a sweeping view of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee Bay, then perused the small museum. In addition to the history of the lighthouse, exhibits depict the history and day to day life of the former keepers as well as local maritime history. A book lover myself, I appreciated the mobile library that was delivered to the keeper every few months.
The neighborhood surrounding the lighthouse was replete with old, large beautifully landscaped brick and stone houses. A centerpiece of the area was the historic North Point water tower and fountain built in 1871, adding an additional touch of elegance to this stylish neighborhood.
It began to sprinkle as we left North Point. Our weather app showed that a storm was imminent and we thunder rumbled in the distance. This was a good time to stop for lunch. We found the Cafe Hollander, a bistro with bikes hanging from the ceiling and large photos of cyclists on the wall, and lunched on soup, salad and sandwiches; service was slow so by the time we left the restaurant the foul weather had passed and the sun was breaking through scattering clouds. With food in our bellies, we headed to Milwaukee’s most famous brewery. It’s Miller time!
The brewery is located in an old industrial area of downtown, surprisingly clean and well maintained for its age and purpose. We had no problem identifying the manufacturing facility with its huge Miller High Life bottle adorning the entrance! We opted for a 90 min tour – a walk through the brewery, Miller inn, bottling facility and warehouse with beers at every stop. Since the tour involved walking and climbing steps, my parents decided on the virtual tour & were handed iPads and a glass of beer to follow along electronically. After a short introductory film on the origins of Miller – the company, like others in the area was founded by a German immigrant, Frederick Miller, who brought his talent and unique brewer’s yeast to Milwaukee, leased and eventually purchased a small brewery in 1855, we downed our first beer and walked several blocks to our first stop, the brewing room.
We climbed several flights of steps and crossed a catwalk overlooking the the large steel brewing vats. Our guide quickly described the brewing process; although the equipment looked modern, the process and ingredients used to brew beer remain relatively unchanged from 150 years ago. Everyone groaned when my niece, a chemical engineering student who was actually interested in the chemistry of beer started asking questions – it was over 100 degrees in the plant and people were anxious to get to the next beer stop.
We walked across the street to the historic Miller Inn. An old world inspired Bavarian inn, Miller built this facility as a guest and brew house for company visitors. It became particularly important during prohibition as a ‘legitimate’ source of income. We had our second beer here and marveled at the beautiful woodwork, stained glass windows and historic beer steins on display. Exiting the inn through a narrow wooden corridor, we were curious as to why the floor was curved and squeaked with every step. Per our guide, we were actually walking on a covered bowling lane!
We stopped briefly in the historic caves where Frederick Miller stored his brew in a perfectly temperate environment before the era of refrigeration. Today the caves are painted with murals depicting the early history of Milwaukee and serve as cool event space for corporate functions. We finished off the tour with a walk through the bottling plant, although since it was Saturday, production wasn’t running and we had to make due with a movie, and finally a warehouse so large that it made Costco look miniature. There were thousands of cases of beer stacked from floor to ceiling, and our guide mentioned that this was a mere 48 hrs of distribution for just the Midwest!
We met up with my parents on the patio of the Miller Beer Garden for our final drink. The weather had cleared and it was once again warm and sunny. All that beer drinking had made us hungry, so given the beautiful evening, we opted for a restaurant with a large outdoor patio on the Milwaukee River.
The Sail Loft Restaurant is located in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, a recently renovated warehouse district now home to art galleries, studios and performing arts theaters. Restaurants, cafes and boutiques line the river walk and this is a popular gathering place for boaters. The food was fine but the vibe of the restaurant and river walk made the evening enjoyable.
As the sun set, the light softened accentuating the pink in the clouds and pale blue of the sky. The river calmed and pontoons with sunset cruisers puttered by.
As the sky darkened, the four faces of the historic Allen-Bradley clock tower, constructed in the 1950’s by Rockwell Automation, illuminated and became the focal point of the river walk from all directions.
Eventually, the sun disappeared with one last burst of radiance illuminating the clouds and reflecting on the still water. We finished dinner, drove back to our hotel and slept, ready for our second day of adventure in Milwaukee. Tomorrow our focus is blooms and bikes!
