The Best Place Vintage Gift Shop will open for visitors at the former Pabst Brewery in downtown Milwaukee Saturday.

The gift shop in the former brewery at 901 W. Juneau Ave. will be opened by Jim Haertel, president and historic tour guide for Brew City Redevelopment Group LLC.

The site is again open to the public after being closed for years.

Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery is named after the original founder, Jacob Best, Sr.  He started what became Pabst in 1844 along with his four sons.

"Over 80 percent of our merchandise was recovered from the former Pabst Brewery, largely left behind when Pabst closed in December of 1996. For those items purchased, we provide a special Pabst card designating, ‘Authentic Item-Recovered from the Historic Pabst Brewery,'" Haertel said.

Examples of the merchandise available, while they last, include beer mirrors, Pabst patches, ponchos, beer glasses, cancelled stock certificates, coasters, including Schlitz, Blatz and Hamm's brands and more. Haertel also is displaying items from his own collection.

Suzanne Ehlke, director of sales and marketing for the gift shop, said, "We also have 20 percent devoted to new items to round out our selection.  T-shirts and hats, but for the holidays, we have beer-themed ornaments, fancy steins and gift cards, too."

Haertel and Paul Bertling originally obtained the accepted offer to purchase the former Pabst Brewery back on Sept. 11, 2001.

"We acquired a lot of stuff, we are keeping one of everything and selling what's left.  We hope to brew beer someday with the same attitude, brew it, enjoy a few and sell what's left," Haertel said.

Haertel credited co-worker Michele Mewissen for the shop's authentic look and feel.

Saturday's opening also will feature three beer books and their authors who will be present for a book-signing from 9 to 11 a.m.:

Nancy Moore Gettelman, widow of the last Gettelman Brewing president, Tom. She will be signing copies of her book, "The A. Gettelman Brewing Company: One Hundred and Seven years of a Family Brewery in Milwaukee." She also has written a new book, "Full Circle," a mystery novel set in a brewery.

Timothy John, great-grandson of Frederick Miller, author of "The Miller Beer Barons." John is running for governor of Wisconsin and is the owner and president of Blue Mound Graphics.

John Eastberg, development director and chief historian for the Pabst Mansion, recently released" The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion: An Illustrated History," a collection of photographs and stories from the gilded age.