End of an era for a true titan of American brewing history. Pabst Brewing Company officially announced that it is sunsetting Schlitz, closing the book on the legendary lager widely known as “the beer that made Milwaukee famous.”
While Schlitz actually dates back 177 years to its founding in 1849, industry reports focus on its incredible 175-year run of continuous production up until this final decision. Liquid sales had unfortunately declined to a point where Pabst could no longer justify the minimum order quantities required to keep mass-producing it.
The Rise and Fall of a Giant
It is hard to overstate just how massive Schlitz once was.
- The World’s Largest: By 1902, Schlitz surpassed Pabst to become the best-selling beer in the world.
- The Brown Bottle Innovator: In 1912, Schlitz revolutionized the entire industry by introducing the brown glass bottle, proving that dark glass blocked light rays from spoiling the beer.
- The “Schlitz Mistake”: Its ultimate downfall didn’t come from a shift in public taste, but from a series of infamous corporate blunders in the 1970s. In an effort to cut costs and speed up production, management altered the brewing process, leading to flat beer. Their attempt to fix it with a stabilization enzyme backfired, creating a haziness and “floaters” that permanently shattered consumer trust.
Though Pabst successfully revived the beloved, high-quality 1960s formula in 2008 to much nostalgia, it couldn’t quite reclaim its national footprint in a heavily crowded modern market.
One Last Call (With “Real Gusto”)
Schlitz isn’t slipping away completely without a fight. In true Wisconsin fashion, local brewers are ensuring the icon goes out with dignity:
“If the beer’s got to disappear, let it go out with respect and dignity.”
— Kirby Nelson, Brewmaster at Wisconsin Brewing Company
- The Final Batch: Wisconsin Brewing Company (located in Verona, WI) secured permission from Pabst to brew one absolute final, limited batch of Schlitz.
- The Classic Formula: Brewmaster Kirby Nelson is using authentic Schlitz brewing logs stretching from 1912 through the 1940s to recreate the beer exactly as it tasted during its golden era.
- The Send-Off: Pre-orders for the final batch open on May 23, 2026, via the Wisconsin Brewing Company website, culminating in a massive farewell tapping party on June 27, 2026.
It’s a bittersweet moment for beer history enthusiasts, marking the final chapter of a brand that literally built the identity of “Brew City.”
The 1893 German Empire’s World’s Exposition Catalogue for this huge event in Chicago, included their advertisement of Rhine Wine made by Schlitz, illustrating a great hot air balloon in flight with a wooden keg of wine cradled by ropes below the balloon.
Agents were also wanted in America to represent their wine product.
I just wanted to thank you, from all us Viet Nam veterans that were provided free beer shipped to us during the war. Thanks for the positive thoughts during a difficult time. Schlitz Beer will be missed.
William H Ritterling
“AKA” William H (MOBY D) Ritterling
The History Channel did a good presentation of the Schlitz history several years ago and it’s role during the Civil War going forward. Pabst and Schlitz made Milwaukee a place on the US map long before any manufacturing ever did. It’s a true USA beer icon like Coca-Cola is to soft drinks. Hopefully some small microbrewery may someday brew batches of it if Pabst will ever share some yeast cultures with them. Down but let’s not hope gone forever.