You won’t find them on a stick, but cocktails in cans and cups are everywhere at the Fair. During recent visits, I not only ate my way through the Fair, but also drank my way through the Fair. (Luckily, I had a gang of sippers to assist me so I didn’t wind up sleeping it off in a goat stall.)  

Beer might always be the fairest of the Fairs, but guys, there are some great spirit-based drinks to drink! Here are five – in no particular order – that we enjoyed.

The Don Draper
Slim McGinn’s
Grandstand Ave & Second Street

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The Don Draper is every bit as dapper and surly as the Midcentury Modern Man it's named after. It looks good, it bites back and it's made with Great Lakes Distillery's high-quality Still & Oak Bourbon. Draper would easily polish off a few of these – at lunch.

Saz's Bloody Mary
Saz's
Central Avenue entrance

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The Saz's Bloody Mary is made with local distillery Eagle Park's vodka. It's garnished with perfection: meat, cheese, pickle spear and an olive. Prove your Wisconsin cred and add on a Miller Lite "chaser" for $4. 

Camp Bar’s Old Fashioned
Numerous locations

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Camp Bar has four regular locations in Metro Milwaukee that, over the years, made them recognized as THE place for an Old Fashioned. Thus, this is also a great choice when at the Wisconsin State Fair. Camp’s Old Fashioned is available with brandy or whiskey (if you want the quintessential Wisco experience, go with the brandy) and “sweet” or “sour.” We went with the sour, hence the olive garnish, whereas the sweet version is garnished with a cherry. 

Citrus Slide - NA
Old Fashioned Sipper Club
Central Avenue & First Street

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This guy has a lot going on, but it went down smoothly. Made with fresh lime juice, pink grapefruit juice, sour soda, lemonade, sugar-free watermelon syrup, dash of cayenne and garnished with honey pop rocks, the Citrus Slide is one of a kind.

Seyval Blanc from Balanced Rock Winery
Wisconsin Wine Garden
Central Avenue between Second & Third Street

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Wine is not technically a cocktail, but it's also not beer, and so it made the list. The Wisconsin Wine Garden serves dozens of local wines and, at first, we were tempted to pick our usual favorite whites from Wollersheim or Cedar Creek wineries. However, the sommelier suggested Seyval Blanc from Balanced Rock Winery in Baraboo. The dry wine has notes of apple, lemon and grapefruit. It’s crisp and refreshing, which made it the ideal wine for a warm day. Now we have to figure out where to buy it by the bottle.