The history of the Milwaukee-made Cheesehead
It’s synonymous with Green Bay Packers fandom today, but the Cheesehead made its first appearance at a 1987 Milwaukee Brewers game — a completely, ahem, organic creation.
The legend is well-known now: Ralph Bruno went to his mother’s south-side Milwaukee home to help her reupholster a couch. When he took it apart, he thought the foam inside looked like cheese — so, naturally, he cut a piece into a triangle, burned some holes into it and spray-painted it yellow. It was a self-deprecating homage to an insult Wisconsin sports fans received from their neighbors in Illinois.
To Bruno’s friends’ surprise, the hats were a hit. So he made more, and sold them from a garbage bag at the next game he attended. That led to neighborhood retail sales and, eventually, the creation of Foamation Inc. — and a robust variety of Cheesehead variations including cowboy hats, baseball caps and koozies. The Packers acquired Foamation in 2023, solidifying the relationship just like a good curd.
Over time, the Cheesehead has inspired song parodies and been featured in a Lil’ Wayne tribute to the Green & Gold (er, Yellow). It’s been worn or displayed by famous figures including George W. Bush, Jodie Foster, Phoebe Bridgers and John F. Kennedy Jr. And despite Chicago Bears fans’ efforts to shred them with their answer — the Graterhead — Cheeseheads are here to stay.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The history of the Milwaukee-made Cheesehead
