Milwaukee has been home to over 70 breweries and over 100 brewing companies throughout the course of its history . Of these , several major breweries grew during the 1850s . Many of those who ran these operations brought their knowledge from Germany where they learned the industrialized brewing process . Due to the turmoil wrought by the revolution taking place in Germany , several beer giants emigrated to the United States including Jacob Best , Valentin Blatz , Franz Falk , and August Krug . The Jacob Obermann Brewery , opened in 1854 , was the largest brewery in the city for twenty years . By 1860 , the largest producer of beer was the C.T. Melms Brewery , which was reported as famous in the United States . After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the Chicago brewing industry , Milwaukee was in prime position to emerge as a growing force nationally . By 1885 , the major brewing industry in the city consolidated down to nine ( Best , Blatz , Cream City , Falk , Gettelman , Jung & Borchert , Miller , Obermann , and Schlitz ) , although a smaller , tenth establishment , Gipfel Union Brewery , which opened in the early 1840s , remained in operation into the early 1890s
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Beer in Milwaukee