# Is Milwaukee America's Best Beer City? Where It Lands on 14 Lists > Beer, the Bucks, Summerfest, Harley-Davidson and Happy Days: one city across 14 rankings, from best beer city to the harshest winter in America. *By YPB Team · Published October 24, 2026 · https://youpick.best/articles/milwaukee-ranked-many-ways* ---

Downtown Milwaukee along the Milwaukee River, with City Hall's clock tower at left — Downtown Milwaukee on the river, one city across 14 rankings. Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Milwaukee Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series and reached their first World Series since 1982, against the Tampa Bay Rays, which opened on October 23 at American Family Field.¹ Neither franchise has won a championship.² The city has carried its name further than most places its size. A lager made Milwaukee famous before a ballpark did, a motorcycle company grew up in a backyard shed there, and a 1970s sitcom set a whole fictional America on its streets. These rankings put the city, and the things named after it, next to Portland, Nashville, Boston, Fargo and a few dozen others. > Milwaukee's reputation was built by what left town: a lager, a motorcycle, a sitcom. These rankings ask how much of it the city still owns. ## Beer cities: Milwaukee vs Portland, Oregon This ranking asks which American city is the best to drink in. Milwaukee is on it because the industry was built there. Frederick Miller leased the Plank Road Brewery outside town in 1855 and later bought it, and by his death in 1888 its output had grown from about 300 barrels a year to 80,000.³ Pabst, Schlitz and Blatz were the other Milwaukee names that went national, which is how a city of German brewers ended up with a baseball team named after the trade. Portland, Oregon has the opposing case: a craft scene built long after the great lager brands stopped being local news. Asheville, Denver and Bend make the same claim. Milwaukee's reply is that it did the original version.

The 16 best beer cities in America, with Milwaukee against Portland, Oregon — Milwaukee against Portland, Oregon, the city that rebuilt American beer in the craft era. Play it →

## Milwaukee vs Minneapolis: the Midwest city worth the trip Fifteen Midwest cities compete on this ranking, from Chicago, about 90 miles down the lake shore, to Omaha, Madison and Ann Arbor. Milwaukee enters with a short, specific pitch: an art museum, a festival ground, a river walk and a ballpark, all at the scale of a long weekend. Minneapolis has the Walker Art Center, a Mississippi riverfront and a city laid out around its lakes. Chicago is the obvious heavyweight, and Madison, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids are the college and craft-beer towns.

Which Midwest city is the best to visit, with Milwaukee against Minneapolis — The Midwest city to visit, Milwaukee against Minneapolis. Play it →

## Milwaukee vs Pittsburgh: the most underrated cities in America Underrated is a claim about reputation, and Milwaukee's reputation is thin: beer, bratwurst and cold. Pittsburgh made the same trade earlier, swapping steel for museums, universities and bridges. Kansas City, Cincinnati, Louisville, Providence and Tulsa share the list, with Spokane, Savannah, Richmond and Chattanooga filling out the 20. They share a gap between what a visitor expects and what a weekend delivers.

The 20 most underrated cities in America, with Milwaukee against Pittsburgh — Milwaukee against Pittsburgh on a list of cities that outperform their reputation. Play it →

## Summerfest and the Nashville question: where live music lives Nashville, Austin, New Orleans and Memphis answer this question for most people. Milwaukee is on the ranking because of one site: Summerfest has run on the lakefront at Henry Maier Festival Park since 1968, spread over nine days and three weekends, and drew 555,925 people in 2024.⁴ The Pabst Theater and a year-round club circuit sit behind it. Nashville's counter is density. Its music is the industry itself, not an annual event, and no festival ground is needed to prove it.

Which US city has the best live music scene, Milwaukee against Nashville — Milwaukee's Summerfest grounds against Nashville. Play it →

## Milwaukee vs St. Louis: the baseball city that lost to the other The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Brewers in the seven-game 1982 World Series, so this pairing carries history before it carries an argument.² St. Louis built its claim on Cardinals titles and Busch Stadium crowds. Boston, New York, Chicago and San Francisco stand beside it on a list of 18. Milwaukee has lost baseball once already. The Braves arrived from Boston in 1953, won the 1957 World Series and left for Atlanta in 1966. The Brewers have kept the crowds without a championship, and that loyalty is the case.

What is the best baseball city in America, Milwaukee against St. Louis — The baseball city, Milwaukee against St. Louis. Play it →

## American Family Field vs Wrigley Field: the roof against the ivy American Family Field opened on April 6, 2001, as Miller Park and took its current name in 2021. Its fan-shaped retractable roof is the signature, and this year's World Series is the first ever played there.⁵ Wrigley Field has hosted baseball since 1914 and put ivy on its outfield walls. It is the park the others are measured against, with Fenway, Oracle Park, PNC Park and Camden Yards close behind. The old name, Miller Park, came from a naming-rights deal with Miller Brewing Company, and the Milwaukee park is still known for its tailgating.

The best MLB ballpark, American Family Field against Wrigley Field — American Family Field, with its roof, against Wrigley Field. Play it →

## Milwaukee vs Boston: the basketball city with one big summer On July 20, 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 105 to 98 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals after losing the first two games. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in the clincher, and the title was the franchise's second and its first in half a century.⁶ Boston answers with the Celtics and the Beanpot schools. Storrs, Lawrence and Chapel Hill are on it too, towns where the college program is the main team.

What is the best basketball city in America, Milwaukee against Boston — The basketball city, Milwaukee against Boston. Play it →

## Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Lakers: the franchise that traded Kareem The Bucks won their first championship in 1971 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975, and he won five more titles there. Milwaukee waited until 2021 for its second. The Lakers spent those years collecting titles, which is the comparison this ranking invites. Twenty franchises are on the list. The list also holds the Celtics, Bulls, Warriors and Spurs, and the Bucks' case is one player's peak, twice.

The greatest NBA franchise of all time, Milwaukee Bucks against the Los Angeles Lakers — The greatest NBA franchise, Milwaukee Bucks against the Los Angeles Lakers. Play it →

## Fiserv Forum vs Madison Square Garden: an arena built around a plaza Fiserv Forum opened on August 26, 2018, seats 17,385 for basketball and hosted Game 6 of the 2021 Finals.⁷ The Killers played the first concert there, with Violent Femmes, on September 4, 2018. Its public space is the Deer District plaza outside, where playoff nights turn into street parties. Madison Square Garden has been the league's most famous address for decades, and Milwaukee's building has been open since 2018.

Which NBA arena is the best place to watch a game, Fiserv Forum against Madison Square Garden — The best NBA arena, Fiserv Forum against Madison Square Garden. Play it →

## Summerfest vs Glastonbury: the festival Guinness certified Guinness World Records certified Summerfest in 1999 as the world's largest music festival, a title the festival still uses.⁴ Glastonbury, on a farm in Somerset, sets the standard for what a festival means to its crowd. Coachella, Tomorrowland, Oktoberfest and Rio Carnival keep the company varied, and so do Kumbh Mela and Holi. Size and reputation are different measures, and a list this broad forces the voter to pick one.

The best festivals in the world, Summerfest against Glastonbury — The best festival in the world, Summerfest against Glastonbury. Play it →

## Harley-Davidson Museum vs Bradford Beach: the Milwaukee list itself This is the one ranking about Milwaukee itself: which attraction in the city is best, from a museum to a beach. William Harley and Arthur Davidson started their motorcycle company in Milwaukee in 1903, which is why the Harley-Davidson Museum is a stop on any visit.⁸ Bradford Beach is the counter-argument, a city beach on Lake Michigan that surprises people who assumed the Midwest had none. The Milwaukee Art Museum, Summerfest, the Historic Third Ward, Lakefront Brewery, the Pabst Mansion and the Mitchell Park Domes all share the list.

What is the best thing to do in Milwaukee, Harley-Davidson Museum against Bradford Beach — The best thing to do in Milwaukee, the Harley-Davidson Museum against Bradford Beach. Play it →

## Milwaukee Art Museum vs the Guggenheim: the building with wings The Milwaukee Art Museum's Quadracci Pavilion was completed in 2001 and was Santiago Calatrava's first project in the United States. Its movable sunscreen spans 217 feet and is made of 72 steel fins, and it takes 3.5 minutes to open or close.⁹ Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim opened in 1959, a white spiral on Fifth Avenue that the other buildings on the list are still measured against. The list also holds the Getty Center, the Kimbell and the Denver Art Museum, and it judges the building, not the collection inside.

The most striking art museum building in America, Milwaukee Art Museum against the Guggenheim — The most striking art museum building, Milwaukee Art Museum against the Guggenheim. Play it →

## Happy Days vs The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Milwaukee on 1970s television Happy Days is set in Milwaukee, and so is its spin-off Laverne & Shirley, whose heroines bottled beer at the fictional Shotz Brewery from 1976 to 1983. Laverne & Shirley was filmed in California.¹⁰ The Mary Tyler Moore Show put its newsroom in Minneapolis, and WKRP in Cincinnati did the same for that city. On this list of 22 sitcoms, Milwaukee is the setting for a sitcom, not the subject of one.

The best sitcoms of the 1970s, Happy Days against The Mary Tyler Moore Show — The best 1970s sitcom, Happy Days against The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Play it →

## Milwaukee vs Fargo: the harshest winter in America Milwaukee's normal snowfall for 1991 to 2020 is 48.7 inches, and its record season is 109.8 inches, set in 1885 and 1886.¹¹ Fargo has the open prairie and nothing between the city and the wind. Minneapolis, Duluth, Buffalo, Anchorage and Green Bay are the other cold-weather contenders, and Chicago is on the same lake. The rest of the article asks what Milwaukee is good at; this list asks what it puts up with.

Which US city has the harshest winter, Milwaukee against Fargo — The harshest US winter, Milwaukee against Fargo. Play it →

## Milwaukee: the name travels, the city stays Most of what carries Milwaukee's name arrived through a brewery, a team or a broadcaster, and the lists keep finding the city one step behind its own exports. Nothing here settles that, and the Brewers' series gives the question a week of attention it rarely gets. The [pairwise method](/articles/what-is-pairwise-comparison) behind these rankings works on any two cities. If Madison or Green Bay belongs beside Milwaukee, a head-to-head ranking of the two is the quickest way to find out. ## More rankings, more angles - [Chicago Is on Every List. Never in the Same Place](/articles/chicago-ranked-many-ways) — the lake city 90 miles south, with its own winter - [Is Harley-Davidson the Best Motorcycle Brand? 13 Lists](/articles/where-does-harley-davidson-rank) — the Milwaukee shed brand on 13 lists - [Best Alcoholic Drink? Where Beer Lands on 16 Lists](/articles/beer-ranked-many-ways) — the drink Milwaukee built, across 16 lists

Sources

Fox 6 Milwaukee: Brewers sweep Dodgers in the 2026 NLCS, first World Series since 1982: fox6now.com (checked 2026-10-24)
NBC New York: Brewers World Series history; the Brewers and Rays have no title, 1982 lost to the Cardinals in seven games: nbcnewyork.com (checked 2026-10-24)
The Clio: Miller Brewery, 1855 founding and output growth to 1888: theclio.com (checked 2026-10-24)
Wikipedia: Summerfest, 1968 founding, Guinness certification in 1999, nine days, 2024 attendance: en.wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-24)
Wikipedia: American Family Field, opening date, renaming and roof: en.wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-24)
NBC Boston: Bucks beat the Suns in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals: nbcboston.com (checked 2026-10-24)
Wikipedia: Fiserv Forum, opening date and capacity: en.wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-24)
Volume One: Harley-Davidson founded in Milwaukee in 1903: volumeone.org (checked 2026-10-24)
Milwaukee Art Museum: the Quadracci Pavilion, Calatrava, 2001: mam.org (checked 2026-10-24)
WISN 12: Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days set in Milwaukee: wisn.com (checked 2026-10-24)
Nelson Institute climatology: Milwaukee snowfall, 1991 to 2020 normals and the record season: climatology.nelson.wisc.edu (checked 2026-10-24)