Waking up in America's Most Drunken City

Boy do I feel good this morning. Maybe it was the Sunset Wheats I drank as I played some poker last night. Afterall, I must continue to contribute to the city's image as the most drunken city in America.

Actually, Forbes should clarify how they say it. Milwaukee is not a bunch of drunks. We are a bunch of drinkers. There is a difference. We drink. We don't have a bunch of sloppy drunks roaming all over the place. So what if we imbibe a bit more than others?

As I broke the news yesterday, apparently the local rag carried the article felt the need to catch up this morning. Let's take a look at some highlights:

In the city of Milwaukee, there are more than 1,000 outlets for beer, wine and
liquor, according to the city's License Division. These include about 978
locations with Class B tavern licenses. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
Milwaukee in 2002 had 261 taverns and 67 liquor stores. Those 328 businesses
generated more than $148 million in sales, or about $250 for every man, woman
and child who lived in the city that year. And that doesn't include alcohol that
was sold at grocery stores, gas stations or restaurants.

Not to mention churches where you can Drink for Jesus in the summertime. I think I spend $250 at church alone.

Now it is not like Al tried to point out yesterday. During his hit of obvious jealousy, he claimed it was because there was nothing to do in Milwaukee. I am not going to try and claim that Milwaukee is THE place to be. It is not a bad place though. There is plenty to do. Professional sports, bars, museums, brewery tours, ethnic festivals, booze cruises, Summerfest, church festivals, etc.

See, there is much more to do in Milwaukee than get drunk. We just like to do things with a beer or our beverage of choice in our hands.