Beer, Cheese, and Basketball: A Kentucky Fan's Guide to Milwaukee

This weekend, the Big Blue Nation heads north to Milwaukee to cheer Kentucky on in the NCAA Tournament, the first of the Mark Pope Era. It will be only the second game Kentucky has played in Milwaukee. The first was against Marquette back in 1940, a 51-45 Kentucky victory.

It will be my first trip to the Brew City too, but as KSR’s resident travel agent, I spent part of the week researching Milwaukee in hopes of a long weekend stay. Here’s what you need to know if you’re also making the trip.

The Schedule

THURSDAY

Kentucky doesn’t play until Friday night, giving fans plenty of time to make the seven-hour drive up I-65. If you arrive on Thursday, you can see the Cats and all the other teams in the Milwaukee pod practice. Kentucky’s open practice at Fiserv Forum starts at 2:45 p.m. CT. Admission is free.

NCAA Tournament open practices were glorified shootarounds under John Calipari, so it’ll be interesting to see if that’s different under Mark Pope. I have a feeling it will be.

Milwaukee NCAA Tournament Open Practices (Thursday, all times CDT)

• 11:00 – 11:40 AM: Lipscomb
• 11:45 – 12:25 PM: Iowa State
• 12:30 – 1:10 PM: North Carolina
• 1:15 – 1:55 PM: Ole Miss
• 2:00 – 2:40 PM: Troy
• 2:45 – 3:25 PM: Kentucky
• 3:30 – 4:10 PM: Illinois
• 4:15 – 4:55 PM: Xavier/Texas

Press conferences take place before the practices, so keep an eye on KentuckySportsRadio.com for all the updates and quotes from Mark Pope, Kentucky’s players, and the Troy Trojans on the eve of their first NCAA Tournament game. Drew Franklin, Jack Pilgrim, Steven Peake, and I will recap it all on the site and YouTube Channel late tomorrow afternoon before finding a place to watch Thursday night’s games.

FRIDAY

Kentucky is the third game of the day in Milwaukee. Iowa State vs. Lipscomb tips things off at 12:30 p.m. CT, followed by Ole Miss vs. North Carolina. The Cats vs. Troy is at 6:10 p.m. CT, and the nightcap is Illinois vs. the winner of Xavier vs. Texas. Doors open at Noon CT.

Milwaukee NCAA Tournament Games – Friday (All Times CDT)

• Noon: Doors open at Fiserv Forum
• 12:30 PM: No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb
• 3:05 PM: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 UNC
• 6:10 PM: No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy
• 8:45 PM: No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Xavier/Texas

UK Alumni Association Pregame Party: 3-5 PM CT

Kentucky vs. Troy doesn’t tip off until 6:10 p.m. CT/7:10 p.m. ET on Friday night, giving fans making the trip plenty of time to pregame. The UK Alumni Association is holding a pregame party from 3-5 p.m. CDT on Friday at On Tap (1203 N 10th St.), which is a few blocks from the Fiserv Forum.

The event is free and open to the public. UK swag will be available while supplies last with food and drinks available for purchase. If the Cats advance to the second round, On Tap will once again serve as the UK Alumni Association’s pregame headquarters, opening three hours before Kentucky’s scheduled session.

KSR Pregame Show: 3:30 PM CT

The KSR Pregame Show will take place at a to-be-determined location in Milwaukee starting 2.5 hours before tipoff, so 3:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. ET. We’ll share more info once we know it, or you can follow @KSRTHESHOW on Twitter/X for updates.

I’ll add to this if Kentucky makes it to Sunday. No need to jinx ourselves.

Fiserv Forum/The Deer District

The Fiserv Forum is located in the Deer District, a 30-acre indoor-outdoor sports, retail, and entertainment hub downtown known as the city’s “living area.” The Fiserv Forum is home to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Marquette men’s basketball team. When the Bucks made the NBA Finals in 2021, 65,000 fans packed “The District” to watch the games outside.

There are several bars and restaurants in the Deer District, making it the perfect spot for fans to hang out before or after games. For beers and TVs, check out The Mecca Sports Bar and Grill, directly across the plaza from the arena; Major Goolsby’s, a five-minute walk away; or the Drink Wisconsibly Pub, also close to the arena. Old World Third Street is one block east of the Fiserv Forum and has plenty of fun places to eat, including Old German Beer Hall, which is modeled after the Hofbräuhaus in Munich.

When it comes to the arena itself, it opened in 2018 and has a capacity of 17,385 for basketball games. If you’re wondering what a Fiserv is, it’s the financial services technology company that bought the naming rights to the arena. If you’re going to the games, download The Bucks & Fiserv Forum App. You can use it to order food and drinks and skip the lines at the concession stands. Specialty concessions include Johnsonville brats and “State-Fair style” cream puffs (Sweet Spot, section 206) in flavors like cherry, pumpkin pie, and apple.

** BAG POLICY ** Fiserv Forum has a NO BAG policy, so not even clear bags are allowed like they are at UK or SEC events. Wallets smaller than 4” x 6” x 1” are permitted. Exceptions to this policy are diaper bags and bags needed due to medical necessity, which will need to be x-rayed by security.

---

Where to Eat, Drink

Kopp’s Custard

The first place anyone from Milwaukee mentions when you ask for food recommendations is Kopp’s Custard. Founded in 1950, the custard stand skyrocketed to fame and is now a Milwaukee staple with three locations around the city. Unfortunately, none are downtown. The one on Port Washington Road is probably the closest, a 10-minute drive from the Deer District.

Kopp’s is known for their “flavor of the day,” a tradition that dates back to its founding. During his days with the Milwaukee Bucks, Mark Pope used to check the flavor of the day on his way home and would call his wife Lee Anne to see if she wanted him to pick some up. Nowadays, they post the flavors of the day online. Cookies ‘N Cream, my personal favorite, is on the menu for Saturday, which means a pilgrimage is in my future. Their burgers are also famous, so maybe I’ll make it an entire meal.

3rd Street Market Hall

Third Street Market Hall is a popular food hall and shopping area near the Deer District, with plenty of local vendors, bars, TVs, and even a self-serve beer wall featuring 30 local beers.

Milwaukee Public Market

Across the river from the Deer District is Milwaukee Public Market, another food hall and market with even more vendors. It was named the No. 1 public market in the country last year by USA Today and seems to have everything your heart desires. Drew Franklin recommends the St. Paul Fish Company for fresh seafood. The Historic Third Ward is a cool shopping and entertainment district close to the Public Market if you have time to walk around.

Water Street

Myron Medcalf, Matt’s ESPN cohost and a Milwaukee native, recommends the Water Street District for good food and drinks. Popular spots include Elwood’s Liquor and Tap, BarNone, and Duke’s. While the area is considered pretty safe, Myron did say to avoid the lakefront after 9 p.m.

All the breweries

Milwaukee is known as The Brew City, and, in turn, there are too many brewery recommendations to list. I’ll start with the top ones I’ve been told to visit. A few are located in the Brewery District, the redeveloped neighborhood home to the Pabst Brewing Company campus that’s adjacent to the Deer District.

• The Classics: You can take tours at the Historic Pabst Distillery and Miller Brewery
• Lakefront Brewery: The most popular these days, also has a tour that’s been recommended with some big sample pours
• Eagle Park
• Central Waters – Located in the Brewery District downtown
• 1840
• Supermoon

All the cheese

Cheese curds are a Wisconsin specialty. You can find them anywhere, but what better place to start than the Wisconsin Cheese Mart? The curds at Milwaukee Brathaus and Lakefront Brewery also come recommended.

Show me breakfast

Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern is supposed to be one of the best breakfast and brunch spots. The original location is in Brewer’s Hill but there’s also one downtown. The Bloody Mary is supposed to be legit.

---

The Sights

If Kentucky makes it to Sunday and you’re looking for something other than beer, food, and basketball to keep you entertained, Milwaukee’s got plenty to choose from.

The Bronze Fonz: Ryan Lemond’s No. 1 must-see attraction in Milwaukee is the bronze statue of Arthur Fonzarelli, aka “The Fonz,” Henry Winkler’s character in the Milwaukee-set sitcom, “Happy Days.” It’s on the RiverWalk, a walkway connecting downtown, the Historic Third Ward, and Beerline “B” neighborhoods.

Harley-Davidson Museum: Do you love motorcycles? Milwaukee is home to the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum, which is spread across 20 acres on the riverfront. There are plenty of tours and rotating exhibits, the perfect way to spend part of a day before turning your attention back to basketball.

Milwaukee Art Museum: How about a little culture? The Milwaukee Art Museum is impossible to miss, with its dramatic white architecture. Inside, it houses over 30,000 works of art, including the largest Georgia O’Keeffe collection in the world.

Pabst Mansion: Grand Avenue was home to the wealthy beer barons of Milwaukee at the turn of the century. Pabst Mansion, which belonged to Captain Frederick and Maria Pabst, is the only manor house remaining, saved from demolition in 1978 and lovingly restored. It’s now open for tours.

National Bobblehead Museum: If you’ve ever wanted to see the world’s largest bobblehead collection, you’re in luck. Over 10,000 bobbleheads are featured in the National Bobblehead Museum, ranging from sports to pop culture, to politics, and everything in between.

There’s a great zoo too, but I hesitate to recommend it this time of year because of…

---

The Weather

Beer, cheese, and basketball? This city sounds too good to be true! Surely the weather will be fantastic too?

Ay, there’s the rub. The weather this weekend will be a bit of a roller coaster, with some sun, rain, and maybe even some snow. Because the city is situated on Lake Michigan, it will be windy, so prepare accordingly and get ready to hold onto your hat! Friday doesn’t look too bad.

At least there’s plenty to keep us entertained inside.

Did I miss anything? Let me know on Twitter (@MrsTylerKSR) or on KSBoard, where we’ve got a running list of Milwaukee recommendations.

Make sure you are LOCKED IN for March Madness. Join KSR+ to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including the latest recruiting and roster intel, basketball game threads, and in-depth scouting reports. Just $1 for a week.