Best Place At the Historic Pabst Brewery

I was here in 1994 and found the place amazing. Our tour was at 9:00am and the beer room was empty. The beer was just as the doctor ordered.
I will be in town this summer and was wondering of the brewery is still in production?
What other breweries are as grand as Pabst?

This was a great tour! Having been on many brewery tours in the past it was nice to experience something a little different. If you are looking for the traditional tour that takes you through the brewing process and among the equipment this will not be the tour for you. If you enjoy sitting down with a cold beer (and the opportunity to purchase more throughout the tour) and learning about the history of Milwaukee and how Pabst came to be you will most likely enjoy this tour. The building has the original stained glass windows, hand painted murals, the original desk of Frederick Pabst, four bars and statues of King Gambinus and Captain Pabst. After the tour you are allowed to walk around and drink in two of the four bars located onsite or visit the gift shop which has lots of unique gifts including t-​shirts, hats, taps, etc. While this tour was not the norm… it really was the «Best» tour!

My friends and I came for the Christkindlmarket this December. The atmosphere was great, and we loved that it was free! However, with the spacing of the building, the vendors seemed to be crammed into every which corner that they could!
The building itself is gorgeous. Though the main room was packed, the bits of ornate flooring I could see were beautiful.
I’ll be back for a tour sometime… when I remember to finally use that Groupon…

This is an amazing piece of Milwaukee history! I have been to a few events here, and the atmosphere is so cool — it’s historic MKE but hip and fun all at the same time.
The patio is super cute and would awesome in the summertime. The gift shop has countless unique trinkets and fun t-​shirts, glasses, etc. There are a couple smaller spaces and then the larger ballroom/​dining/​dancing/​party area.
If you have the opportunity to get to the Best Place I highly recommend checking it out. And while you are there you should have a PBR, because it doesn’t get much more Milwaukee than that ;)

I had never been on the Pabst tour. Even having lived in Milwaukee for some time, and being a Wisconsin resident my entire life.
Looking for something to do last Saturday, we decided to venture into Milwaukee for a day to hang out. Included in our plans was a stop at Pabst Brewery for a tour. There was a Groupon offer that we couldn’t pass down. A total of $ 6 for the two of use included a Pabst beer and the tour.
The tour itself is more historical, in terms of watching old commercials, hearing about the history of Pabst, and listening to stories from the owner who also gave us a tour. This was great for us, because we’ve been on many brewery tours and this was something different. After about 45 minutes of history, you are taken back to see their space, which is mainly used for banquet events. Also great in my book because I am a former event planner and I love touring event spaces.
If your looking for the traditional tour that takes you through the brewing process and takes you on a tour of the back of house brewing, then this may not be your cup of tea. There are other brewery tours I can recommend. If your into history, learning more about how Pabst came to be, and having a laid back hour or so in Milwaukee, you would probably enjoy the tour.
The owner was great, gave us a lot of information and it was nice to have someone touring you that is so passionate about what he does. Service is also great while you are hearing the history of Pabst. The Bartender is on top of asking everyone in the room if they want refills and is quick to check on you. If your getting married or looking for a unique banquet space for an event, you also should check out Pabst.
Parking is easy for the tour, the gift shop has a lot of merchandise if you are looking for gifts, and overall this is a good value if your looking for something to do. Plus, your supporting a historical place in Milwaukee. Check it out.

WOW! What an amazing venue, an amazing staff and an amazing experience. We chose the Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery for our wedding reception (The Great Hall), and couldn’t be happier. It’s a beautiful gem in Milwaukee, with modern accommodations on a historic site.
The venue coordinator Kimberly was unbelievable — high professionalism with a very personal touch. She was quick to answer our questions and put our minds at ease, for what could have been a stressful experience. By the end of it all we felt a pretty close connection to Kimberly, as she is very warm and truly cares about her clients. We can’t say enough positive things about Kim!
If anyone is looking for a memorable venue with a true Milwaukee feel, Best Place is the way to go!

This tour is very, very odd. I got this on a Groupon and thought why not? My husband and I do not like PBR, but we are suckers for tours on manufacturing. This is a beer history tour, not a tour for brewing. The tour guide is also the owner of the property that is the Pabst Brewery. It is worth the 4/​person we paid… Even if the beer isn’t.
The guide, Jim, is very passionate about Pabst. He has a presentation he does, which is informative. He plays commercials… And well, he sings along. When this happened, I couldn’t hold back my laughter… Pabst is just a poor, college kid beer… I did enjoy when he told his personal story and his dream for the future (there wasn’t a sales pitch as he didn’t ask for any additional money). I believe that repurposing over tearing down is a way to go. I also enjoy that he has worked to use other parts of building to enhance what is there.
Anyways, the space itself is beautiful in its way. I imagine a wedding or event would be very nice. I feel it is also a work in progress.
The gift shop is interesting as there are relics from the old plant.
I think there is still some kinks, but is the most unique and kind of weird tour I have ever been on.

Milwaukee was a stop on a Lake Loop drive. I was very happy to hear that this was a ‘history’ tour. $ 8.00 gets you a free beer (or rootbeer) and a very informative history lesson as well as a quick stroll through some back rooms, the basement and the captain’s office. It is even said that the place is haunted. Scott was a wonderful tour guide. Very at ease and knew his stuff. At the end of the tour you aren’t hurried out the door so you can linger a bit and take photos, even have another beer. The gift shop is packed with all sorts of items that range in price so there is something for everyone. This was my favorite stop in Milwaukee.

We had a groupon to come in for a tour and for two free beers. We chose to forego the tour since we had done it recently and chose to stay for the beer. The staff was extremely kind and accommodating and the beer was fantastic! Definitely a great place to go after a tour at the Pabst Mansion! We also had someone play a guitar for us and serenate us while we drank! Wonderful experience!

Come on Milwaukee, this is just not fair! You’re making it really hard to leave this city.
We took the history tour and my mind was blown! Did you know that Pabst saved Chicago from a horrible fire? That’s the type of information you get from the detailed tour. Our host was so friendly and knowledgable about Milwaukee beers and history.
Tour costs about $ 8 and you get beer.
You can even drink during the tour! #Umerica #freedom
They have a very good gift shop of all top Milwaukee breweries.
Definitely recommend this place for any beer lovers out there!
To the captain! *Beer Chug*

Formerly a schoolhouse then boardroom for Pabst executives. Now a hip tavern with lots of great nostalgia. Best Place is a must see for newcomers or out of town visitors alike. The interior is adorned with lots of cool stained glass, hand painted murals, hand carved wood, vintage fans & enormous statues of King Gambinus & Captain Frederick Pabst.
Take the tour & learn a lirtte history about both beer & Milwaukee. It lasts about an hour and it’s time well spent. The tour proceeds are used to renovate the Pabst properties. The owners are committed to preserving beer history.
Grab an ice cold Pabst or one of the many local micro-​brewed beers.
Be sure to check out the two gorgeous beer patios & gift shop.

I consider myself a history buff and beer buff at the same time so getting to do this tour was great for me. However my gal who has no interest in beer or Pabst history enjoyed it as much as I did. Yes it’s a PowerPoint presentation for a lot of it but you do get to see a couple of the old buildings, there were 28 at one time. The gift shop is very cool. The information you learn about Pabst and brewing in general back in the day is fascinating. If you have any interest in MKE history, beer history or PBR’s you gotta check this one out.

What to do in the winter on a Milwaukee day? Find an indoor spot, with a bar and by a fire! I am not a PBR fan, but I think I’m gonna be! haha This tour was NOT fancy, was NOT in a brewery, and NOT much square footage. BUT it’s a museum with a bar, then another bar, and one last bar. And for $ 8 it’s entertaining! I swear I’m going to Copps and building my 6 pack out of «old school» beer: Pabst, Schlitz, Hamms, and Blatz.

I’ve been at a number of events here now and it’s a wonderful place for an event. The renovation is superb, the atmosphere is unique and the edifice is truly historic. There are now a number of options. There’s the more intimate tavern area, if the weather’s nice there’s a little quaint outdoor space, and there’s now a wonderful ballroom. If you’re planning a work party, a family reunion, a wedding reception, an anniversary party, or a banquet, you should consider here, it might be the best place for your event. The gift shop has somewhat irregular hours but is very much worth a visit.
I also had a chance to be in here a couple years back in the middle of renovation, this German architecture grad student was working on a fresco from 1890 something, and I asked for the translation. She puzzled over it a bit, looking for the best words, and said that it said «It’s late so you’re wife is already mad so you may as well have some more beer as it can no longer get worse…» She paused as she thought about a more concise or more precise rendering, her expression a little nonplussed as she turned back to me and said in her lovely Berlin accent, «It’s just bad marital advice.» So funny, but she didn’t laugh with me.

NOT your typical brewery tour! You will not see beer being brewed or bottled like at a few other breweries around town, so, if that’s what you’re after, this tour in not for you.
If you are interested in the history behind Pabst beer and the Pabst family, then this IS the tour for you.
I took the tour 2 years ago and was impressed by what was just left at the place when it closed. Frederick Pabst’s personal office complete with his original desk, leaded window glass and light fixture were hardly touched. Across the room from the office were tables piled with blue prints. Today, a nice wood, multi-​tapper bar stands in its place. The floor was either the subfloor or just a really dirty, worn out floor. Today the floor has been refinished/​replaced and boasts an inlaid design positioned in the middle of the room.
My recent visit, on November 22, was to check out Milwaukee’s very first Christkindlmarkt (Christ Child Market aka Christmas Market)! It was small… very small, but the turnout was huge! Mader’s sold food in the same vein as when they are at German Fest. They also had a booth selling beer steins and Hummels. Usinger’s was selling sausage (of course!), The Spice House was there, and then there were a few independent vendors selling leather goods, ornaments and jewelry. There were even Pabst wreaths for sale! Father Christmas was there as well as a German «Oom-​pa-​pa» band complete with an accordion player and people playing the spoons. Jim, the owner of the brewery (and a really nice guy) was there dressed as King Gambrinus. There was even a storyteller who told stories both for the kiddies and adults!
Talking with Jim, he was very pleased with the turnout and said that next year, he was going to try to get more of it outdoors, like it is in Germany. I’ll be looking forward to that!
46÷2014÷50

This place has become so popular that it’s usually not available for public use anymore. This is sad, because it is an incredible thing to experience! If you’ve ever seen the old PBR commercials from the 60’s, a bunch of them were filmed right inside! The place has not changed one bit!
The bars are located inside the old brewery complex and maintain a definite «German» flavor. Lot’s of great character and of course some of that gooooood Milwaukee beer. The smaller of the two bars has a very nice fireplace, and the larger, a neat balcony. The larger space is perfect for any number of events. There’s a great courtyard between the two.
If you can get a chance to hang out and see the place, this is a must do.

In a city whose culture revolves around beer, this is Mecca.
A very cool place to get a very informative and entertaining piece of Milwaukee history. And get tanked. Not just Pabst, but an amazing array of locally crafted microbrews and spirits as well in a wonderful setting.

I could not say a bad thing about this place even if I tried. As one of the original buildings of the Historic Pabst Brewery in MKE it’s been reopened and revamped (while still maintaining it’s historic look and feel).
I had the privilege of speaking with some staff while working here and they regaled me with an in depth and rich history of the Best Place. Speaking to ownership changes, drama, being deemed historically significant (and protected) and saved.
It’s ideally one of the most character rich venues to host a special event like a wedding or gala. The main hall is a huge space perfectly equipped to hose a large event, with its massive bar and huge ceilings and large windows.
There is also the smaller Blue Ribbon room where most of the tours begin, this area was awesome as it resembled an old German Beer hall (even thought I’m pretty sure it was a school house at one point).
Lastly my fave spot was the gift shop. More PBR scwhwag than you could hand out in a lifetime. Everything from original memorabilia found in the brewery to shirts, hats, posters, chachkies, glassware and more and more. This is was like a museum of Pabst unto itself!
Definitely a cool venue and if you’ve never been… go. Like right now!

We stopped in today after seeing the Pabst Mansion. It’s sort of odd that the two don’t offer a combined tour. but they’re managed & owned by separate entities. By the time we arrived at Best Place the tours has concluded for the day. In back of the gift shop they were prepping for a party or reception of some kind, so our time here was a bit limited. Kicked around the gift shop for a few minutes. they’ve got some classic local brew memorabilia to look at. We also stopped at the back bar for a quick beer and root beer for the lad. As for the tour, if it’s even half as interesting as the Mansion tour it’s worth it. We’ll have to stop back someday to find out.
Cheers.

This tour was not what I was expecting, but in a good way! We came in and got our tickets and went to a room near the courtyard. We were provided with our beer of choice and pretzels, and the guide told us about the history, showed some old ads, and talked about the building. We then went to the room they are turning into an event space, which used to be offices and still has the historical desk of Frederick Pabst.
Turns out this place is not owned by Pabst, it is owned and run by a local man who has a strong interest in historical preservation and purchased the building and developed tours and a bier garden just for history’s sake. The tour isn’t affiliated with the Pabst company, now out of state and owned by people who bought it in a hostile take over. The owner of this place and the guides clearly pay homage to the creators of the company, how important Pabst was to Milwaukee, and all the workers who lost their jobs when the company was bought out and moved.
Incredibly unique tour! There are so many other working breweries you can go to in Milwaukee and see the beer process, but this is hands down the best tour for anyone interested in history. Definitely worth your time and money. I have a lot of respect for what they are doing.