A popular Wisconsin beer that was recently discontinued will be brewed one last time after being enjoyed by drinkers for 177 years.
The final batch of Schlitz, marketed as “the beer that made Milwaukee famous,” will be brewed by Kirby Nelson at Wisconsin Brewery in Verona on May 23.
“This is back to Schlitz’s glory days,” Nelson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, adding that the beer “is Wisconsin Brewing Company’s love letter to our state.”
Nelson will be using a recipe based on Schlitz brewhouse operations logs from 1948, in order to treat the beer “with dignity and respect.” The final batch will be 80 barrels.
Nelson will give a talk about the history of the brand, which at one point was the largest beer brand in America, on May 23, before the brewing process starts. Pre-orders will also be available.
The final product will be available to frink on June 27 and Wisconsin Brewery plans on holding an event celebrating the brand.
Schlitz was first brewed at Milwaukee Tavern Brewery, which was founded in 1849 by August Krug. The brewery’s bookkeeper, Joseph Schlitz, acquired the company and turned it into Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. following Krug’s death in 1856.
A boom for the company came in 1871 when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed Chicago, including many local breweries. Schlitz used train cars to transport beer directly to the city as part of the support effort.
“They didn’t have clean drinking water, so they were drinking Schlitz beer,” Joseph Conforti, general manager of Milwaukee Brat House, told ABC10.
He added that “a nostalgia factor” remains.
“People from out of town are surprised that they still make it. When we hosted the RNC in Milwaukee, that was one of the top-selling products we had.”
Schlitz was bought by Pabst Brewing Co., producer of Pabst Blue Ribbon, in 1999. Kirby sought permission from Pabst to revive the original recipe.
Pabst said the decision to put Schlitz “on hiatus” came due to “increases in our costs to store and ship certain products,” Zac Nadile, Pabst’s head of brand strategy, said.
“Any brand or packaging configuration that is put on hiatus is still a cherished part of our history and hopefully our future,” Nadile added. “We continually look for opportunities to bring back beloved brands, and customer feedback is important in shaping those discussions.”
Nelson will also serve the Schlitz at Old World Wisconsin’s 50th anniversary celebration in Eagle on July 4.
