Grab a beer
Facility by animal exhibit features rotating menu
and watch the bears at the Zoo’s new Bear Garden.
Don’t be fooled by the new Bear Garden at the Milwaukee County Zoo. They don’t serve bear. That would be cruel.
The Bear Garden serves beer. Named for the adjacent grizzly bear exhibit featuring Ronnie and her three bear sons Bozeman, Brian and Chinook, the former Dippin’ Dots stand will boast a rotating menu of 12 brews from classic Miller High Life to City Lights Coconut Porter. Beers will be available by the glass, by the bottle or by the can.
Bears will be available only by looking at them.
Right now, the choices include Miller Lite, Blue Moon, Leinenkugel and Crispin Rosé by the glass; Lakefront, Furthermore and Wisconsin Brewing by the bottle; and Sol, Miller High Life, Terrapin (a Georgia brewery that is part of the MillerCoors family) and City Lights by the can.
Beer prices range from $5.49 for domestic brews to $6.49 for craft beers.
“The goal is to have much Wisconsin beer as possible,” said Stephanie Gray, general manager for Service Systems Associates, which handles food and catering services.
Gray said the choice of beers between 4% and 5% ABV (alcohol by volume), is a conscious one for the zoo. They don’t want to encourage bad behavior among the visitors.
Higher ABV beers, those above 7%, might make their way to the Bear Garden for special events like Zoo a la Carte, she said.
On one side of the Bear Garden are several rows of picnic tables and greenery, essential elements for a beer garden. On the other is Ooz, a repurposed Airstream selling grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese items.
Beer isn’t new at the zoo; it has been available in the zoo at other locations for more than two decades. The Leinie Lodge
Milwaukee zoo
location sells Leinenkugel beers. The Snack Depot, Flamingo Cafe and Husk Haus also serve beer, typically Miller Lite and Miller High Life. The Bear Garden’s dozen choices offers the most variation in one place, Gray said.
The Bear Garden, which opens at 11 a.m. daily, also sells pretzels and other snack items. Also for adults only is the Adult Ice Cream float, a food and beverage item made with Henry’s Hard Orange soda or Not Your Father’s root beer.
food goes upscale.