"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee.com – brought to you by Hornitos, OR-G, Party Armor, Red Stag, Absolut, Fireball and Malibu – is back for another round! The whole month of February, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun articles on bars and clubs – including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!
We've all seen surveys with Milwaukee ranked as one of the country's heaviest-drinking cities. So this week, OnMilwaukee.com asked the Social Circle to confirm if they think Milwaukeeans drink more – or if this is just media hype – based on their personal experiences.
Here's what they think. And don't forget to share your thoughts via the Talkback feature.
Elaine Alred: "Oh yeah. I have lived in many other places. It's harder to find a bar or a club. The drinks are way more expensive. Many states you can only purchase it at approved liquor stores."
Michael Buehler: "Waaayyyyy more."
Leah Delaney: "When I came back to Milwaukee after living in New York City and Chicago for 10 years, I found the amount of bar stooling really prevalent. Like, alarmingly so. I wonder if it has anything to do with having multigenerational Midwest blue collar workers in our families? Alcoholism can be genetic, right? Please correct me if I'm wrong."
Lisa Desmond: "I had never been to a multigenerational party with alcohol before moving here. Apparently, Wisconsin people are totally cool with drinking with their parents/uncles/cousins/kids. Weirdness."
Roman Edirisinghe: "My friend in Boston says Milwaukee is a pretty drunk city. We can all agree with that. However, he goes on to add that Bostonians drink more than Milwaukeeans, and that his hometown of Greenport, N.Y., takes the cake for drunkest."
Russ Fascia: "@Leah. Yes. Genetics play a roll. I know. Believe me. Glad I've become a bit of a lightweight."
Rachel Moon Jaciuk: "Tons."
Paul Kennedy: "If they know what's good for them they do."
Wendy Kogler: "Absolutely. When I moved to Minnesota, I was shocked to attend a party with no alcohol. I had no idea not everyone drank! You just don't get beer at parades, children's museums, zoos, etc., like you do here."
Kim Kocher Napieralski: "I would say not just Milwaukeeans – but Wisconsinites in general. Everywhere I go we have a 'reputation' of being drinkers just because we are from Wisconsin. Proven every time the Badger Football team travels – many times – stadiums have run out of beer! (First hand knowledge in Las Vegas.)
Jill Neyens: "Um, YES!"
Patti O'Dell-Dooley: "Yes, fer sure!"
Christopher Porterfield: "Yes."
Tony Reasby: "Not more in one evening, but definitely more often."
Renee Scherck-Meyer: "From the CDC: Wisconsin has the most binge drinkers at about 25 percent. We are no. 1."
Joe Skow: "Without a doubt. Nothing to be proud of. Simply the truth."
Jen Snyder: "YES! Absolutely."
Barbara Tabak: "Absolutely. When I moved to Milwaukee in the '70s, I couldn't believe that beer was served everywhere – from church socials to birthday parties in the local parks."
Lucky Tomaszek: "Yes. Fo sho."
Leilani Tamayo Van Hoomissen: "After living in Portland for 18 years, the answer is absolutely."
Dale Weiss: "Definitely more than people in Seattle."
Jan Wilberg: "This is a joke, right?"
