Pabst Brewery Complex
Pabst Brewing Company (historic), Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Pabst Brewing Company Complex at 807 W. Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee grew from Jacob Best's 1844 brewery. By 1874 it was the largest brewery in the nation, and in 1892 it became the first to brew over one million barrels in a year. It closed in 1997, was listed in the National Register in 2003, and has been redeveloped as The Brewery mixed-use district.
- Company
- Pabst Brewing Company (historic)
- Status
- Closed
- Opened
- 1844
- Employees
- Not stated
- Industry
- Food and beverage
- Revised
- November 12, 2026
What is made here
Former brewery (lager beer, and originally ale, porter and whiskey); now redeveloped for residential, office, retail and hotel use.
Facts
| Founding | Founded in 1844 by Jacob Best and his sons; it originally produced ale, porter and whiskey as well as lager beer (state: wisconsinhistory.org) |
|---|---|
| Largest brewery | Largest brewery in the nation by 1874; in 1892 it became the first brewery to produce over one million barrels in a single year (state: wisconsinhistory.org) |
| Historic district | 18.4 acres near downtown Milwaukee with 24 contributing buildings; listed in the National Register on November 14, 2003 (state: wisconsinhistory.org) |
| Blue Ribbon | Its Select brand, with a blue silk ribbon on each bottle, was the precursor of Pabst Blue Ribbon (state: wisconsinhistory.org) |
| Closure and reuse | Closed in 1997; redeveloped as The Brewery, with the brewhouse converted to a hotel that opened in April 2013 (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
We haven't found a public tour of this factory. See factory tours in Wisconsin.
Sources
- Wisconsin Historical Society: Pabst Brewing Company Complex (NR) (state, checked November 12, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Pabst Brewery Complex (reference, checked November 12, 2026)
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