Story by Francesca Pica, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Pabst ends Schlitz production
Schlitz beer production ends after 175 years
Schlitz, the beer that made Milwaukee famous, is no more.
Pabst Brewing Co. is ending production of Schlitz, which began as a Milwaukee tavern brewery and was once America’s largest brewer. The company, founded in 1849, was bought by Pabst in 1999.
To send the Milwaukee icon off, Kirby Nelson with Wisconsin Brewing Co. will brew a final 80-barrel batch of Schlitz on Saturday, May 23 at its Verona brewery. Nelson will then give a talk about the brand at 1 p.m.
Nelson said Schlitz deserves to go out with “dignity and respect.” So, he’ll be brewing with the company’s specifications from 1948, when it was on top of the U.S. brewing industry.
“This is back to Schlitz’s glory days,” Nelson said, adding that the brew “is Wisconsin Brewing Company’s love letter to our state.”
Pre-orders for the final Schlitz will open May 23 on Wisconsin Brewing Co.’s website. The beer will be available on June 27. That same day, Wisconsin Brewing Co. will hold a public event celebrating the brand.
©Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staff photo
Undated photo of Schlitz items on display at the historical society include old bottles, cans and Schlitz advertising and promotional items. Schlitz Brewing Company, beer
Nelson will also serve the Schlitz at Old World Wisconsin’s 50th anniversary celebration in Eagle on July 4.
Now, Schlitz can be hard to find even in Milwaukee dive bars. But it was once the largest brewer in the United States, and one of the companies that put Milwaukee on the map.
Schlitz was founded in 1849 as a Milwaukee tavern brewery by August Krug. Joseph Schlitz, then a company bookkeeper, acquired and renamed the brewery Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. following Krug’s death in 1856.
In 1870, Schlitz built a giant brewery on what is now King Drive and Galena Street. Schlitz died at sea five years later, and the Uihleins took over the company just as Milwaukee’s brewing industry experience massive growth. By the end of Prohibition, it was America’s biggest beer company and one of Milwaukee’s largest employers.
Through the 1970s, Schlitz funded Milwaukee’s Fourth of July lakefront fireworks, Circus Parade and Old Milwaukee Days, which would later evolve into Summerfest.
But around that time, the brewer had fallen to fourth place and behind two of its Milwaukee competitors, Miller and Pabst. Company leaders attempted to cut costs by changing its ingredients, but the move only alienated loyal Schlitz drinkers.
©Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Staff Photo
The Schlitz Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee on July 4 1972 included more than 700 horses, 36 bands, more than 60 historic wagons and thousands of participants. This was the last Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee for 12 years until it returned in 1985. The last circus parade was in 2009.
Schlitz then targeted its Milwaukee brewery for cost cutting, reportedly looking to eliminate up to 200 jobs starting in 1981. More than 700 workers went on strike in response. But in July 1981, the company announced it would shut down the brewery for good.
An early ceramic mosaic of Schlitz is featured at the entrance to Water Street Brewery where owner R.C. Schmidt has been collecting beer memorabilia since 1987. The items are displayed throughout the bar.© Rick Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Schlitz was sold in 1982 to Stroh Brewing Co., which shut down all remaining Milwaukee operations. After more than 130 years, Schlitz left the city it helped make famous.
Schlitz was acquired by Pabst and relaunched in 2008, but its presence in Wisconsin remained relatively small. Nelson said he cherishes the opportunity to hold Schlitz’s final brew right where it all began.
“For a brewer such as myself, this is as flattering as it comes,” he said.
Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Schlitz beer production ends after 175 years
