New Beer Garden Opening in Juneau Park

Juneau Park Beer Garden. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

The Juneau Park Beer Garden is indeed happening.

In 2022, Milwaukee County Parks began exploring making Juneau Park a season-long beer garden with space for up to 200 patrons due to its popularity. As Urban Milwaukee was the first to report, there was a legal snag related to federal tied-house prohibitions and the proposed sponsorship arrangement, but that has been addressed.

“Parks could not be happier to add another beer garden to our wonderful summer in Milwaukee,” Parks Director Guy Smith said in a statement. “Due to the popularity of Juneau as a Traveling Beer Garden stop and the engaging community around it, we are excited to offer another location for folks to enjoy this summer.”

The new beer garden will officially open on May 24 with a ceremonial keg tapping and will run until Aug. 20. The beer garden will feature 12 taps with seating for 250 people. Food trucks will visit the park on Friday nights and throughout the day on Saturdays. Beer garden staples like brats, hot dogs and soft pretzels will also be sold. Third Space Brewing Company is programming live music at the beer garden on Friday and Saturday nights.

“We have put together an awesome lineup of local live music that is sure to pair perfectly with the great local craft beers on tap at the new Juneau Park Beer Garden,” said Andy Gehl, co-founder and president of Third Space. “We look forward to helping make the county’s newest beer garden an amazing new third space for the people of Milwaukee.”

Milwaukee County Parks has used Juneau Park as a destination for its popular traveling beer gardens. It has long been one of the most popular stops on the beer garden circuit, averaging more than 2,000 visitors a week.

A beverage menu on a new website for the beer garden shows it will sell pints and 32-ounce steins of to-be-announced craft beers, Miller Lite, White Claw and Twisted Tea. It will also sell bottled water, Pepsi products and non-alcoholic Lakefront Brewery beer.

“Although it’s called a beer garden, sodas, snacks, and other refreshments will also be on sale for Milwaukeeans of all ages to enjoy,” said Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, whose district includes the park. “Come enjoy the wonderful weather while supporting our parks.”

Beer gardens are a tradition imported by German immigrants to the city that disappeared during prohibition in the early 20th century. Since reviving them just over a decade ago, they have become a reliable source of revenue for the cash-strapped parks department, generating well over $2 million annually in recent years.

The Juneau Park Friends Group announced its excitement for the new beer garden and said: “We look forward to continued partnership with Milwaukee County Parks and meeting our friends and neighbors over a cold pint on a hot day in the upcoming months!”

Opening Draft Beer List

Parks opted not to go with a single sponsor for this beer garden, said Joe Mrozinski, Assistant Director of Business Services.

“We made the decision to offer a wide variety of beverage options, from multiple breweries and distributors,” he said. “We have used this model at the Whitnall Park Beer Garden and it has been very successful.”

The following beers will be on tap when the beer garden opens later this month:

• Lakefront Brewery — Bierzeit Kolsch
• Lakefront Brewery — Riverwest Stein
• Eagle Park Brewing Company — Set List
• Eagle Park Park Brewing Company — Ekto Kooler
• Raised Grain Brewing Company —  Summer Vice
• Raised Grain Grain Brewing Company — Naked Threesome
• Sprecher Brewing Company — Abbey Triple
• Downeast Cider House — Original Blend
• Third Space Brewing — Happy Place
• Third Space Brewing — Smile
• Third Space Brewing — Frog Weiss
• New Glarus Brewing Company — Spotted Cow