Wisconsin beer cheese soup is a thick, savory soup made with sharp cheddar cheese, Wisconsin lager and a mirepoix base, served with a soft pretzel or rye.
Wisconsin beer cheese soup emerged from the state's brewing and dairy industries in the 1940s and 1950s, when German immigrant cooks combined leftover sharp cheddar with the abundant local lager to create a thick warming soup. By the 1970s it was a Wisconsin tavern staple; Old German Beer Hall, Mader's and many supper clubs still feature it on the menu. It is the unofficial soup of the Wisconsin winter Friday night.
2 editor picks for Wisconsin beer cheese soup in Milwaukee, ranked by editorial score. All Milwaukee signature dishes · Wisconsin beer cheese soup across every city.
Mader's Restaurant ★ 4.2
downtown · 1041 N Old World 3rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Mader's on Old World Third Street has served German food in Milwaukee since 1902, with sauerbraten, schnitzel and a Knight's Bar of beer steins on the wall.
Old German Beer Hall ★ 4.1
downtown · 1009 N Old World 3rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Old German Beer Hall on Old World Third Street downtown is a Hofbrau-style bier hall with one-liter steins, giant pretzels, bratwurst and Bavarian schnitzel.