America’s Oldest Brewery Makes Its Wisconsin State Fair Debut at Benno’s New Yuengling Beer House
Remodeled venue pairs Yuengling draft with Wisconsin-made spirits and a beer-infused food menu; Frozen Cocktail Bar moves to a new container bar nearby
West Allis, WI – August 10, 2026 – Benno’s Concessions is coming off a strong opening weekend at the Yuengling Beer House, a fully remodeled venue that debuted with the 2026 Wisconsin State Fair and marks Yuengling’s first appearance at the Fair in the brewery’s nearly 200-year history.
Occupying the space that housed Benno’s Leinie Lodge, the location has been rebuilt from the ground up under the same family ownership. It now serves as the Fair’s destination for Yuengling draft beer, craft cocktails built on Wisconsin spirits, frozen drinks, and an expanded food menu built around Yuengling beer as an ingredient.
The Yuengling Beer House sits on the corner of Central Avenue and Benno’s Micro Alley, near the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater, and is open daily through the close of the Fair on Sunday, August 16.
A Strong First Weekend
Three early standouts emerged across the menu over the opening weekend: Yuengling Traditional Lager, the Blackberry Vanilla Mule, and the Cold Fashioned frozen cocktail — a mix that reflects what the venue set out to do, pairing a national beer brand with local spirits.
“We’re proud of what we’ve built here, and excited to share this new venue with the people of Wisconsin and beyond,” said Benno Weigel, President of Benno’s Concessions. “The response this first weekend has been everything we hoped for.”
With seven days of the Fair remaining, Benno’s is encouraging guests who have not yet stopped in to visit before the Fair closes on August 16.
A Wisconsin Debut for America’s Oldest Brewery
Founded in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1829 and family-owned through six generations, Yuengling became available in Wisconsin only this year — arriving on draft in January and in stores in March, after nearly two centuries out of reach for Wisconsin drinkers. The Yuengling Beer House is the brand’s first State Fair presence in the state.
The centerpiece of the remodel is the Bottoms Up tap draft system pouring the Yuengling lineup, including Traditional Lager, Flight, and Oktoberfest, in addition to the canned offerings of Light Lager, Black & Tan, and Golden Pilsner.
Craft Cocktails Built on Wisconsin Spirits
The Yuengling Beer House pours a full craft cocktail menu made with fresh ingredients and house-made mixes, leaning on Wisconsin distillers throughout.
The Blackberry Vanilla Mule, one of the weekend’s top sellers, is built on Wisconsin-made Tenhead Gin with blackberry, vanilla, lemon, lime and ginger beer. Other signature pours include the Hibiscus Lime Collins; the Spicy Blood Orange Margarita, with tequila, habanero, lime and blood orange; a sparkling Lavender Lemonade; and the Vanilla Buzzed Latte, a coffee cocktail made with locally roasted Buzzbeans. Classics including the Old Fashioned, Mojito, Moscow Mule and Bloody Mary round out the list, and a Build Your Own option lets guests pair their choice of liquor, mixer and garnish.
The patio bar keeps a frozen lineup on hand, led by the Cold Fashioned — made with Milwaukee’s Eagle Park bourbon and Bittercube bitters and finished with a Luxardo cherry. It is joined by a Sangria Slush, Cucumber Gin Rickey, Whiskey Coke, Strawberry Daiquiri, and a frozen Margarita available with raspberry, spicy mango or blackberry flavoring.
The Frozen Cocktail Bar Gets Its Own Home
Benno’s Frozen Cocktail Bar has moved out of the former Leinie Lodge patio and into a brand new container bar just steps away in the Amphitheater area, giving the frozen program a dedicated space and its own service line.
The lineup there includes the Miami Vice, Piña Colada, Vodka Lemonade, Cold Fashioned, frozen Margarita and Strawberry Daiquiri, alongside the returning Dragonfly Lemonade — a non-alcoholic, 100% organic frozen lemonade that has become a favorite with families.
A Food Menu Built on Beer
The remodel brings a full food menu to the location, built around Yuengling as an ingredient and anchored by two Wisconsin meat purveyors: Milwaukee sausage maker Klement’s, and Kettle Range Meat Co., which supplies the locally sourced brats.
Menu highlights include:
- The Brew Dog – An all-beef hot dog topped with Yuengling beer cheese
- The Brewmaster Brat – A locally sourced Kettle Range brat with Yuengling and caramelized onions
- The Black & Tan Burger – Named for the Yuengling classic, with beer cheese, caramelized onions and crispy onion straws
- BBQ Chicken Sandwich – Yuengling BBQ chicken with coleslaw
- Bacon BBQ Burger – Cheddar, BBQ sauce and bacon
Classic hot dogs, brats, hamburgers and cheeseburgers round out the menu, and every item comes with a pickle spear. A Meal Deal pairs a hot dog with kettle chips and a 16-ounce soda.
About Benno’s Concessions
Founded in 1985 by Benno Weigel, Benno’s Concessions is a family-owned food and beverage company dedicated to creating memorable Fair experiences. Now in its 41st year at the Wisconsin State Fair, Benno’s is the largest food and beverage operation at the Fair. With over 200 seasonal staff, Benno’s continually innovates its food and beverage offerings while maintaining excellent customer service.
Benno’s operates a number of locations at the Fair, including The Micro, Lakefront Biergarten, Wineberry Bar + Lounge, Sodalish, the Frozen Cocktail Bar, and the new Yuengling Beer House.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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