When is this year’s Milwaukee Brewfest?
The 13th Milwaukee Brewfest will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023.
Where is the Brewfest taking place?
Milwaukee Brewfest will take place at McKinley Park, on Milwaukee’s scenic lakefront.
Address: 1600 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53202
What time do gates open?
Gates open at 2pm for VIP ticket holders and 3pm for General Admission.
DD can enter grounds with VIP but only VIP ticket holders can enter VIP area.
Will there be a Milwaukee Brewfest Queen competition this year?
This year, we have decided to not have a competition. We decided that we wanted to raise as much money as possible for the Museum of Beer and Brewing.
What time is Last Call?
Last sampling call is 6:00 pm. Event participants must exit the fenced in grounds area by 6:30 pm as directed by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department.
Is there parking available?
Yes, there is street parking available, as well as event parking located south of the festival grounds for a fee paid to Boy Scout Troup 21. Please follow signage found on Lincoln Memorial Drive the day of the event for specific parking instructions. *Cars must be off the parking grounds by noon the following day or they will be ticketed/towed.*
What about Public Transportation?
The Milwaukee County Transit System is available for use, and you can plan your trip by visiting their website.
How do I buy tickets?
Tickets may be purchased through our safe-online hosted website as well as in person at our retail store in Milwaukee.
To purchase tickets online – Please visit our Purchase Ticket page.
To purchase tickets in person please visit our Milwaukee Brewfest office:
Milwaukee Brewfest
1910 South 81st Street Milwaukee, WI 53219
Office Hours: 8am – 4:30pm Monday through Friday
Phone: 414-321-5000
What does GA ticket get you?
Event Entry 3pm
General Admission Ticket gets you:
Unlimited sampling from breweries serving craft beers, ciders, meads and more, as well as a number of other on-site activities such as:
Musical performances
Exhibits
A variety of food for purchase from local restaurants and vendors
What does the VIP ticket get you?
Everything the GA tickets gets plus:
Early admission at 2pm
VIP Lounge
VIP Sampling from 2pm-3pm – VIP beers not available to GA
Live Music
How many beers can I sample?
This year, we look forward to having many breweries serving craft beer, ciders, wines, and seltzers to sample. For more information about breweries attending this year’s Milwaukee Brewfest, please visit our Brewery Page. We ask you to Please pace your tastes.
Who can attend Milwaukee Brewfest?
Milwaukee Brewfest is open to all people 21 and older.
No Children or Pets are allowed into the event. No Exceptions.
What happens if it rains?
While outside, Milwaukee Brewfest will take place rain or shine. Sorry, no refunds.
What about Designated Drivers?
Designated Drivers (DD) are more than welcome to attend Milwaukee Brewfest and enjoy all of the other things that we offer.
DD’s must be 21 years of age or older.
DD tickets are $20 and include 2 sodas or water, a meal with beverages, as well as free parking.
Will there be food?
Yes, there will be a number of food options on site for purchase and some limited food sampling for you to enjoy.
Will there be souvenirs and memorabilia available for purchase?
Milwaukee Brewfest merchandise can be purchased at the event in our merch booth or anytime at our online storefront.
Will you take credit cards?
We will take MasterCard and Visa on site for the purchase of tickets and at the Milwaukee Brewfest Merchandise tents. We will also have ATM’s available for use.
Why the line for admission?
We are required to check IDs for all guests who enter the festival. Although you might experience a line at the entrance gate, the line will move fast. You can help make it flow even smoother by having your ID and ticket out in advance for age verification. Valid Photo ID required
Why would a brewery run out of beer?
Sometimes, if a particular beer is overly popular that year, it could run out. Not to fret! Milwaukee Brewfest has over 100 breweries to sample with plenty of variations to satisfy any beer connoisseur.
Re-Entry Policy
Milwaukee Brewfest has a no re-entry policy. This means that once you are in, you are not able to be re-admitted to the festival.
Smoking Policy
Because we are an outdoor festival smoking will be permitted but in designated areas.
Intoxicated Guests
All attendees of Milwaukee Brewfest are expected to pace their taste! Some of the samples served can be up to 12% ABV. Any guests that the festival management believe are causing a disturbance will be asked to leave Milwaukee Brewfest without a refund.
How do I find my way around?
There will be large maps throughout Milwaukee Brewfest as a reference. Brochures will also have a map and information about where each brewery is located.
Can I bring my own food or drinks to Milwaukee Brewfest?
Milwaukee Brewfest will have plenty of food and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase and asks guests to please refrain from bringing their own food and drinks into the festival.
Can I bring a bag or backpack into the event?
Yes. You may bring bags and backpacks onto the grounds, however, like any other festival, they will be checked at security.
Allowed items:
Factory sealed water bottles
Chairs
Blankets
Sunscreen/sun protection
Bags/purses/totes
Banned Items
Open liquid containers
Noise makers/speakers
Weapons
Drugs/ illegal substances
Pets (other than service animals)
Beer is good, but is there anything else to do?
Yes! Although sampling craft beer is the main reason to go to Milwaukee Brewfest, we will also have:
Musical performances.
A variety of food for purchase from local restaurants and vendors.
A variety of non-food vendors sharing their goods and services.
Will there be any other alcohols at Milwaukee Brewfest besides beer?
Milwaukee Brewfest will also have different hard ciders, meads, seltzers, and wines available to enjoy.
Do you have any gluten-free beers available at Milwaukee Brewfest?
Yes, some breweries do provide gluten free options. Many of the ciders, wines, meads, and other fruit based beverages are also gluten free. Please ask before you sample!
What if I drive to your event, but don’t think I should drive home afterwards?
We here at Milwaukee Brewfest appreciate drinking responsibly. Because of that, we encourage folks that drive down to our event to keep their vehicles parked overnight. Cars will NOT be ticketed or towed for doing so until 11AM the following day.
What is Mead?
Mead or honey wine is the oldest alcoholic drinks known to man. It is made from honey and water via fermentation with yeast. It may be still, carbonated, or sparkling; it may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. Unlike beers and cider, meads (being wines) are consumed in small quantities.
What is Cider?
Cider is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. In the US and some parts of Canada, “cider” refers to unfiltered apple juice, traditionally made with a distinct sweet-tart taste. “Hard cider” is used for the fermented beverage.
What is Firkin?
Cask-conditioned ale is beer that is naturally carbonated, because the beer is put in the sealed cask, or firkin, before fermentation is complete. The gas produced by the fermentation is then absorbed in the beer, explains Empire head brewer Tim Butler. That produces a gentle, natural carbonation. Carbonation in standard kegged and bottled beer is produced by adding carbon dioxide (CO2), or sometimes nitrogen, after fermentation. That’s what gives most beer its fizz.
What is Sour Beer?
Unlike modern brewing, which is done in a sterile environment to guard against the intrusion of wild yeast, sour beers are made by allowing wild yeast strains or bacteria into the brew. Traditionally, Belgian brewers allowed wild yeast to enter the brew naturally through the barrels – an unpredictable process that many modern brewers avoid. The most common agents used are Lactobacillus, Brettanomyces, and Pediococcus. Another method for achieving a tart flavor is adding fruit – most commonly cherries (to produce kriek) or raspberries (to produce framboise) – during the aging process, to cause a secondary fermentation. Because of the uncertainty involved in using wild yeast, the sour beer brewing process is extremely unpredictable. The beer takes months to ferment and can take years to mature.
What is ABV?
ABV stands for Alcohol (percentage) By Volume and represents what percentage of the liquid contains alcohol.
What is IBU?
IBU stands for International Bitterness Units and is a standardized measurement of perceived bitterness in beer due to the alpha acid content within the hops and the concentration from duration of boiling.
How much craft beer is in a barrel?
HALF BARREL = 15.5 gallons
QUARTER BARREL = 7.75 gallons
SIXTH BARREL = 5.16 gallons