*This is a beer garden side-trip on the on-going chronicle dubbed the Great Wisconsin Brewery Tour. Follow the journey here.*
If I can’t go to a brewery on the Great Wisconsin Brewery Tour, the next best thing is a beer garden. Brought over by our city’s German ancestors, the biergarten was a popular gathering place during the warmer months for generations of Milwaukeeans. A few years ago they started making a comeback and fueled increased revenues and attendance at local county parks. This summer we’ll be hitting each of them in between our regularly scheduled brewery visits.
First up is the newest beer garden to grace the Milwaukee scene: South Shore Terrace.
Miler 1855 Bar at South Shore Terrace in Bay View. All photos by Joe Powell.
Miller 1855 Bar at South Shore Terrace
2900 S Shore Dr
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 482-4270
Visit date: 06/12/16
Quick Hits:
1) Beers?
11 on tap, all Miller products.
2) Hours of operation?
Wed- Fri: 4PM – 10PM
Sat & Sun: 11AM – 10PM
3) Park location?
South Shore Park in Bay View.
4) Pricing?
$4.50 to $6.50 for pints, $7 to $10 for liters. CASH ONLY.
5) Specials?
Live Music on Wednesdays.
The only beer garden currently operating on Lake Michigan, South Shore Terrace is located on the back side of the Pavilion at South Shore Park in Bay View. They have the best patio in the city; the views of the lake and the city skyline are unrivaled, making a tall liter of beer all the more enjoyable.
Part of the reason beer gardens are so popular is the family-friendly atmosphere, and South Shore Park has plenty of space and playgrounds for the children as the parents knock a couple back.
South Shore Terrace serves beer through the Miller 1855 Bar. Run by and featuring only Miller products, there’s a surprising variety of both domestic, “craft”, and import beers to choose from within the hometown behemoth’s portfolio. Highly recommended: the Leinie’s Big Eddy.
Pints range from $4.50 to $6.50, and don’t forget to keep your glass! The price of a pint glass is included, and each time you get a refill in that glass (be it this trip or your next), it’s $1 off. Snacks and grilled food are also available.
Once you’ve got your beer, take a seat at one of the communal picnic benches surrounding the roaring fire pits. It’s a cozy, sunny spot on a summer afternoon.
As the mural on the wall shows, it’s all about enjoying life here (maybe a little too much for that guy).
So grab your family and friends and spend the afternoon with good beer in a quiet park overlooking Milwaukee and Lake Michigan.