The process

We asked readers to submit their ideas for a new Milwaukee‑specific toast and narrowed down nearly 100 entries to the best 5, as decided by our qualified committee of judges. Then we asked Milwaukee citizens to rate their favorite choices.

Timeline

• March 3-12, 2017 - Toasts were submitted.
• March 13-14, 2017 - Five experts of history, language, brewing, branding and social gathering helped narrow down the submission to the 5 best toasts.
• March 15, 2017 - The five finalists were announced and public voting began.
• April 14, 2017 - The winner was announced on April 14, 2017, Milwaukee Day.

The judges

Five qualified judges — experts of history, language, brewing, branding and social gathering — chose their favorite Milwaukee Toast based on the following criteria:

• If the word or words in the toast create a sense of celebration and joy.
• The meaning behind the toast.
• Its uniqueness to Milwaukee culture.
• And its ability to pass the test of time and remain relevant for years to come.

Garry Davis

Professor and Chair of the Linguistics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Evan Christian

WAMI Award-winning musician and owner of Gibraltar jazz club.

Angela Damiani

CEO of Newaukee.

Julio Maldonado

Partner at Maldonado & Morgan advertising agency and co-owner of Snifters.

Dr. Jana Weiß

Assistant Professor, History Department, University of Münster (Germany) focusing on the history of beer in Germany and the United States.

Contact

Questions? Contact us.