Milwaukee may have the title of "Brew City, USA", but it may also have the title of having some of the best places to buy beer in the U.S., as well. The only other city that I think may come close in regard to the number of liquor stores that have a great selection of beer to choose from would be Minneapolis/St. Paul. But for the Milwaukee area, Consumer Beverage Center in the southwestern suburb of Hales Corner (see map) is one of the top "beer hunting" places I've found in the area.
Consumer Beverage Center was established in 1963 and is currently run by Mike and Libby Praedel and their family. While it's not a huge place compared to some of the liquor stores in the Milwaukee area, the Praedel's do a good job of stocking it with popular wines, liquors and beers. Not only do they have a wonderful selection of Wisconsin and Midwestern craft beers, but they also have a large selection of imported beers to choose from, as well.
The Praedel's also do a good job of marketing their place as they hold special events from time to time. There are wine tastings, "meet and greets" with brewers, and special prices on liquor, beer and wine on a regular basis. Just trying to differentiate themselves versus the ever growing threat of the local and national chains in the liquor business is a full time job.
Consumer Beverage is sort of on the way out of Milwaukee for me on my way back home. If I don't have time to stop at some of the other places in Milwaukee, I'll usually stop at Consumer Beverage. That's not to say that it's a last option for me. It's just to say that I'm lucky it's there on my way out of town.
The last time I was in was earlier this summer when a friend of mine asked me to pick up some of the new Schlitz beer that has come back onto the market. Actually, Schlitz never really went away, but it definitely wasn't the same since the 70's. At one point in the early to mid 70's, Schlitz was the No. 2 brewer in the U.S. behind Anheuser-Busch. In an attempt to bolster their business, Schlitz changed the formula of the original Schlitz. This proved to be disastrous to the company who immediately lost market share. In the early 80's, a crippling strike forced the company to be sold to the Stroh Brewing Company.
Through a series of buy-outs, the original Schlitz formula was lost. Now owned by the Pabst Brewing Company, the 60's-style flavor was resurrected by a team of brew masters, taste-testers and historians. Through documents found in old files, the team was nearly able to replicate the original taste of Schlitz.
The original Schlitz is once again available in the distinctive brown bottles that I remember from 30 to 40 years ago. But they aren't available in the Quad Cities as of yet. I was talking with a friend who was asking me about the "new" Schlitz and I told him that I'd seen it up in Milwaukee. He asked me to pick some up for him the next time I was up in Milwaukee.
Consumer Beverage had a big display of Schlitz on their floor. I grabbed a 12 pack to take back home with me. When I dropped them off at my friend's place, he said, "You didn't put these on ice? I thought we'd try them out!" I still haven't one of the "new" Schlitz beers. He told me later on, "These taste just like the ones we used to steal out of my dad's refrigerator when we were 16."
So, if it's Schlitz or an eclectic craft beer from Wisconsin that you're looking for, there's a good chance Consumer Beverage Center will have it. They always seem to stock the most popular items, and feature some interesting seasonal beers, as well. It's a great place to do some beer hunting.
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