'Brat summer' vs bratwurst summer: How Wisconsinites are reacting to trend on social media

Ask anyone in Wisconsin: We know brats. So when “brat summer” started trending on Twitter, Wisconsinites were confused.

“I’m from Wisconsin so every time I see someone post 'brat summer' I’m like ‘sure the heck is,’” read one Tweet.

For those who aren’t chronically online, here’s how “brat summer” started trending, and how Wisconsinites added their own Midwestern twist to the trend.

What is "brat summer," and why is it trending?

The term "brat summer originated with British singer Charli XCX’s June 7 release of “Brat.” Large swathes of Gen Z have declared it the unofficial album of the summer and embraced its radioactive lime green album color, pop hits and subsequent TikTok dances .

Brat Summer doesn't take itself too seriously. According to this Gen Zer, it's like slay, but less cringe. To have a "brat summer" is to embrace the chaos of life in spite of its imperfections, to be unapologetically oneself and to do it all with cool-girl confidence.

Charli XCX expanded on the meaning in a Tik Tok .

The trend expanded when supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris started making memes and video edits to songs off the "Brat" album. Charli XCX herself proclaimed Harris as "brat," eventually resulting in Harris’ campaign rebranding its Twitter to “Kamala hq” with a "Brat"-inspired banner image.

It's always brat summer in Wisconsin

Milwaukee has been called the center of German culture in America , so it’s no surprise that we can credit our relationship with the bratwurst to the state’s German immigrants, who came to Milwaukee in droves during the 1800s.

The name bratwurst comes from the German words "brat" and "wurst," literally translating to fried sausage.

In Wisconsin, brats are a whole summer affair.

Madison’s annual Memorial Day weekend Brat Fest, which bills itself as “the World’s Largest Brat Fest,” has sold more than four million brats since its founding in 1983. Then there’s Johnsonsvile’s Brat Days on Aug. 2 and 3 in Sheboygan and “Brat-tober-fest” in September in the Wisconsin Dells.

The Wisconsin State Fair, of course, will have them too – everything from a beer-battered corn bratwurst served on a stick to gummy bear brat glazed with honey mustard. There are more than 70 total options listed across the fair’s brats, hot dog and sausage selections.

Of the nearly 100 votes on a poll from Journal Sentinel reporter Vanessa Swales’ Twitter, 66% of Wisconsinities said they are having a bratwurst-brat summer.

Local Wisconsin businesses got in on the action

Local Wisconsin businesses seized the opportunity to connect with young customers on the trend, making posts with Brat-inspired fonts and shades of green and also featuring bratwurst.

UW Madison and Wisconsin Union posted a photo of a lime green terrace chair with a perfectly roasted bratwurst overlooking Lake Mendota. “UW letting the marketing team cook out here,” one comment read. Others said “whoever on the socials needs a raise asap” and “Top tier madison post.”

State Street Brats advertised their Tuesday night bar deals with a similar slider post .

Brats Social Media Manager Molly McElligott said she wanted to capitalize on the fun pop culture moment to highlight the bar's welcoming atmosphere.

“Most of our staff was already obsessing over the album and it was blowing up on TikTok so I tried to get ahead of it while I could,” McElligott said. “To me, Brat Summer is bold and fun and unapologetic and I feel like it really connects with the queer community we have in Madison.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin simply posted, “beer, brat, baldwin” in the same font used on Charli XCX's album cover.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said he was feeling inspired by Harris and proclaimed it “brat summer in Milwaukee.”

Harris' own Wisconsin campaign account bio reads: "Beer. Brats. Kamala Harris 2024."

Some people noted the irony of the trend and Wisconsin's role in the presidential campaign. "Oh yeah sure I think a Brat Summer makes sense as a campaign slogan, they want to win Wisconsin after all," one Tweet read. Another said, "maybe we can convince swing voters in Wisconsin that the whole brat summer thing is about bratwurst."

More bratwurst-inspired social media posts:

This one from's Minnesota, but we'll let it slide:

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Brat summer' vs bratwurst summer: How Wisconsinites are reacting to trend on social media