It didn’t take long for the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) to realize it was onto something with its very first Food & Froth back in 1999. Nearly 2,000 people showed up — nearly tripling organizers’ expectations — and proved that the museum might have a hit on its hands.
This Saturday, the annual event returns for its 25th edition, giving attendees the chance to sip and snack their way through the exhibit floors as they support the museum’s educational programming, community outreach, collections care and research.
“For 25 years, this beloved tradition has brought the community together to celebrate lifelong learning and local flavor,” MPM senior vice president of development Julie Quinlan Brame said in a release. “By showcasing local breweries and restaurants alongside our exhibits, Food & Froth is a unique opportunity to explore, engage and enjoy, all while raising vital funds for the museum.”
The only thing capable of slowing Food & Froth’s momentum over the years was the pandemic, which brought a halt to the proceedings for two years. Aside from that, the museum has been able to expand the event from one exhibit floor to all three floors and double the number of vendors — a list that this year includes 66 on the beverage side and 20 serving up food.
There will also be t-shirts available for $30 celebrating the event’s 25th edition, as well as entertainment/education from The Hungry Williams, The Mike Schneider Band and “Botany of Brews” led by museum staff Christopher D. Tyrell, PhD, (research curator, botany) and Aaron R. Atencio, PhD (research curator, cultural collections, history and anthropology).
The event runs from 7 to 9:30 p.m. this Saturday for general admission ticket holders ($100), with VIP attendees ($200) getting an extra hour of access starting at 6 p.m.
2025 Food & Froth participants
Beverage vendors (* = new for 2025)
- 1840 Brewing Company
- 3 Fonteinen*
- Abita Brewing Company*
- Ace Cider
- ALT Brew*
- Amorphic Beer
- Ansay International
- Beat Box Party Punch
- Beer Barons of Milwaukee
- Blackstack Brewing*
- Blake’s Hard Cider Company
- Broken Bat Brewing
- Central Waters Brewing Company
- Cider Boys
- Component Brewing Company
- D&V International
- Dovetail Brewery*
- Door County & Hacienda Brewing
- Duesterbeck’s Brewing Company
- Earth Rider Brewing
- Fair Isle Brewing*
- Foxtown Brewing
- Gathering Place Brewing
- Giant Jones Brewing Company
- Hidden Cave Cidery*
- Hillsboro Brewing Company*
- Hinterland Brewery
- Hop Butcher for the World
- Hopewell Brewing Company*
- Indeed Brewing Company
- Krombacher
- Lakefront Brewery
- Low Daily*
- Lowlands Brewing Collaborative - The Lowlands Group
- Lion’s Tail Brewing Co.
- McFleshman’s Brewing Company
- MeaninGFul Brewing*
- Mikerphone Brewing*
- Monkless Belgian Ales*
- New Glarus Brewing Company
- Off Balance Meadery
- Old Germantown*
- One Barrel Brewing Company
- Ope Brewing Company
- O’so Brewing
- Pilot Project Brewing
- Potosi Brewing
- Revolution Brewing*
- Rhinegeist Brewing
- S&H Imports
- Sahale Ale Works
- Schilling Cider
- Shiner Brewery
- Sketchbook Brewing*
- Sprecher Brewing Company
- Stevens Point Brewery
- The Fermentorium
- Third Space Brewing
- Torzala Brewing Company
- Trubmeisters Homebrew Club
- Twelve Percent Beer Project
- Tyranena Brewing Company
- Untitled Art
- Vintage Brewing Company
- Water Street Brewery
- Young Blood Beer Company
Food vendors
- 80 Acres Farms*
- BelAir Cantina*
- Better Together Cafe*
- Brazen Standard Hospitality*
- Carrie’s Crispies
- Centraal Grand Café & Tappery
- Cream City Catering
- Fred Usinger Inc.
- Hill Valley Dairy – MKE Cheese Bar*
- LuLu Café & Bar
- Lush Popcorn
- Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill
- Old Germantown*
- Pine River Cheese Spread*
- Press Waffles
- Tabal Chocolate
- The Ambassador Hotel*
- Thunder Bay Grille
- Toppers Pizza*
- Whiskey Brown Crumbles Confectionary
