He’s a local legend best known for not wearing a shirt.
Milverine—Milwaukee’s version of Marvel’s character, Wolverine—is keeping his celebrity status in our city strong.
On Nov. 23, MobCraft Beer in Walker’s Point will sell a bottled 22-ounce milk stout named “Moo-Waukee.”
The beer label shows Milverine shirtless, carrying a keg and riding a cow on the Hoan Bridge.
“Well, it looked kind of nice, looked like me and everything,” said Milverine.
Chris Sheff, a teacher at Nicolet High School in Glendale, submitted the idea into the brewery’s monthly beer competition and won.
“Everyone in the Milwaukee area knows of him, they’ve seen him, or they talk about him. So once they see he’s on the label, I think it will be a hot item to get,” said Sheff.
Milverine’s real name is John Hamann. He’s a 55-year-old construction worker in Milwaukee who became an online sensation years ago for walking around downtown shirtless.
Milwaukeeans took notice of his uncanny likeness to Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine in the Marvel franchise.
“Every time I go out I’m recognized and take pictures with people. It’s gotten even more popular this year,” he said.
Milverine said he wasn’t walking around the city as much after having knee surgery. This fall though, he’s back on the streets and gets recognized with his shirt on too. He said he only takes it off when temperatures are above 60 degrees.
He said he won’t be benefiting from the “Moo-Waukee” beer sales, but that doesn’t matter to him.
“It promotes Milwaukee, you know. The city I grew up in, I’ve never been outside the city of Milwaukee,” said Milverine.
Only 200 of the “Moo-Waukee” beers are for sale. A release party will be held at MobCraft Beer at noon on Friday, November 23. Stock House Brewing in Wauwatosa will also be selling the beer Friday.
