Schlitz beer, once America’s largest brand and the beer that made Milwaukee famous, will be brewed for the final time this weekend.
Wisconsin Brewing Company, with permission from owner Pabst Brewing Company, announced it will produce one last 80-barrel batch on Saturday, May 23, at its Verona brewery. The beer will be made using Schlitz’s original 1948 recipe, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The final brew marks the end of a brand that helped define Milwaukee’s identity as a brewing capital. Schlitz was founded in 1849 as a small tavern brewery and grew into one of the nation’s most successful beer companies. At its peak in the 1970s, Schlitz was America’s largest brewer and a major employer in Milwaukee. The brand funded local events including the Fourth of July fireworks, the Circus Parade, and Old Milwaukee Days, which later evolved into Summerfest.
Kirby Nelson of Wisconsin Brewing Company said he wanted the brand to go out with dignity and respect. “This is back to Schlitz’s glory days,” Nelson said. “This is Wisconsin Brewing Company’s love letter to our state.”
Pre-orders for the final Schlitz will open on May 23 on the Wisconsin Brewing Company website. The beer will be available for purchase on June 27. That same day, the company will hold a public event celebrating the brand. Nelson will also serve the final batch at Old World Wisconsin’s 50th anniversary celebration in Eagle on July 4.
Schlitz’s history is closely tied to Milwaukee’s rise as a brewing powerhouse in the 19th and 20th centuries. The company was originally founded by August Krug and later acquired by Joseph Schlitz. Under the Uihlein family, it became a dominant national brand. By the end of Prohibition, Schlitz was the largest beer company in the United States.
The brand’s decline began in the 1970s when cost-cutting measures, including changes to its recipe, alienated loyal customers. A bitter 1981 strike at the Milwaukee brewery led to the closure of its historic plant. Schlitz left Milwaukee entirely after being sold to Stroh Brewing Company in 1982. The brand was later acquired by Pabst Brewing Company and relaunched in 2008, but production never returned to Wisconsin on a large scale.
Pabst stopped brewing Schlitz several months ago, according to local reports. The final batch by Wisconsin Brewing Company represents a symbolic farewell to a brand that once defined Milwaukee’s brewing identity.
For many in Southern Maryland, Schlitz holds nostalgic value as a classic American beer that was widely available in local bars and stores for decades. The brand’s iconic “The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous” slogan was familiar to generations of Maryland drinkers, even though the beer was never brewed locally.
The final batch will be a limited release. Nelson described the project as a way to honor the brand’s legacy and give fans one last taste of its historic recipe.
