The Milwaukee Brewers mascot, Bernie Brewer, is known for celebrating the team's home runs with a ride down his slide. And his home, perched above the field, is equally beloved.
First it was a chalet, then a "dugout," and now it's a chalet once again. Here's what to know about the evolution of Bernie Brewer and his residence.
Who is Bernie Brewer?
The Bernie Brewer character was originally a regular human man wearing lederhosen and a feathered cap. He's still depicted as a man, but he's now more mascot-like, sporting a giant foam head, a giant yellow mustache and big, cartoonish eyes.
In 1973, a beer barrel, chalet and slide were constructed in the bleachers of County Stadium, and Bernie Brewer, then depicted by a member of the grounds crew, would take his post in the chalet and slide down into the barrel following each Brewers home run and victory, releasing balloons.
The mascot character was based on a fan's unusual stand in 1970. In an effort to drum up attendance numbers, a 69-year-old fan named Milton Mason vowed not to come down from atop the scoreboard until the Brewers drew 40,000 fans. He was up there 40 days. He called himself Bernie Brewer.
The version of Bernie and his chalet that was born in 1973 lived until 1984, when the team rebuilt the bleachers where the chalet was located.
It wasn't until almost a decade later that Bernie Brewer returned. In 1993, the team introduced the "new" Bernie Brewer – this time with a foam head. And Bernie's chalet was brought back, along with a new barrel and beer stein.
When Miller Park opened in 2001, Bernie Brewer moved into what the team called his "dugout" with a curving yellow slide.
2021 chalet upgrade
Bernie's dwelling got a remodel ahead of the 2021 season.
The upgraded chalet was based on Bernie's original home at County Stadium. It has German-style architecture with flowers in the window, like the original chalet.
And Bernie's famous yellow slide was changed to white to match the new exterior.
Lakefront Brewery is now the home of the original chalet. It's a stop on the brewery's tour through the facility. It can even be booked for a date night for two, overlooking the fermentation cellar.
About Bonnie Brewer
Bonnie Brewer – a friend of Bernie, in the Brewers' lore – was a short-lived character played by teen girls and young women in the 1970s.
Bonnie appeared in the middle of the fifth inning home games, rushing onto the field with a cartwheel or flip. She wore short blue lederhosen and a Milwaukee Brewers cap, and she carried a blue-and-gold broom.
As the grounds crew tended to the infield, she used the broom to sweep off the bases. When she passed the opposing team's third-base coach, she gave him a peck on his cheek, then swatted him on the backside with her broom. The character lasted for six years.
Who is Barrelman?
Barrelman returned to the spotlight in 2015 as a team mascot. It followed a stretch from 1970 to 1977 in which the Barrelman image served as the primary Brewers logo. The now-iconic ball-in-glove logo replaced it.
The Barrelman logo was first used by the Brewers in the 1940s when they were part of the American Association of Professional Baseball. The character was also known as "Owgust."
Can just anyone ride the slide?
During the regular season, fans could get the experience of riding down Bernie's slide on home game days. A pass for up to five rides down the slide would set you back $150 a person on a weekday or $175 a person on a weekend.
Riders beware: The slide comes with some unexpected speed. In 2022, then-Dodgers sideline reporter David Vassegh "took off at an ungodly speed," as Milwaukee Magazine put it, and crashed headlong into the wall. His pain was the internet's gain: The slide ride resulted in fractures to his wrist and ribs, and the video racked up millions of views.
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He jokingly got his "redemption" a year later, when he slid down the kids' version of Bernie's slide, in the AmFam play area.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Bernie Brewer, his chalet, and other Brewers mascots
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