This famous beer is about to be brewed for the last time

[Zorro]

Schlitz beer is about to be brewed for the last time.

Wisconsin Brewing Company, with permission from Schlitz's owner, Pabst Brewing Company, announced it'll brew a final 80-barrel batch on Saturday, May 23, at its Verona brewery. The batch will be brewed using Schlitz's specifications dating back to 1948, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The company was founded in 1849 in a Milwaukee tavern before later expanding and, at one time, becoming America's largest brewer. Kirby Nelson with Wisconsin Brewing Co. said he wanted the brand to go out with "dignity and respect," according to the Journal Sentinel.

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.

Pabst Brewing Company stopped brewing Schlitz months ago, reported local TV station WQOW.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/05/19/famous-beer-schlitz-brewed-one-last-time-ending-177-year-run/90157205007/

[Cirsium]

1. Right

Isn't that the beer than made Mel Famey walk us?

[underpants]

3. Mel Farley. I'd never heard that.

http://fedoradudescommentary.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-beer-that-made-mel-famey-walk-us.html

[303squadron]

5. Might have to be a badger to get that

Heard that many times growing up.

[Cirsium]

14. Wolverines, too

We heard that in Michigan many times growing up.

Detroit had a lot of breweries back then. Altes, E&B, Stroh's, Goebel, Pfeiffer, Tivoli, Old Dutch, North Star...

[UpInArms]

2. One of my bestest friends

Who died in 2020, was a PBR buddy … I miss him and I will miss him PBR

[OAITW r.2.0]

4. My dad liked Schlitz.

So. it was the 1st beer I could "borrow" from the fridge and drink. It really sucked. I'll never forget the taste,

[AZJonnie]

6. Olympia "Tumwater" beer for my old man

That shit was VILE I will give him some props though once they were no longer financially struggling he switched to UK or Japanese beers, esp. Guinness and Kirin, starting in the mid-80's. He won't do swill anymore.

[Permanut]

7. Hey, Olympia got me through school..

Or at leasr I think it did

[AZJonnie]

8. Was that grammar, junior high, or high school?

[Permanut]

9. Details are fuzzy..

Portland State University for sure. Back in the days when I was a world class foosball player.

[AZJonnie]

11. Yeah, I was the #1 Ultimate player

in my entire dorm!

Okay, maybe it was my dorm room.

Okay, only for one semester.

[MustBeTheBooz]

28. Them's fightin' words, friend!

But you’re not wrong. 😑
HS to college years in OLY saw many Olympia beers go down, then come back up. If you know what I’m saying.

[FHRRK1]

21. lol, same experience

Luckily I was from a big family so we could all sit silent and wait the old man out.

There was another one out of Ohio, Carlings Red Label that sucked too. Guessing they were all cheap.

[OAITW r.2.0]

22. Carling Black label was a RI beer, I think.

Not much better than Schiltz, as I remember.

[Totally Tunsie]

26. According to Wiki, can't blame Rhode Island for this...

more like Canada, Ohio and Wisconsin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carling_Black_Label

Rhode Island's beer fame (or infamy, if you prefer) is in a "Gansett". a product of the Narragansett Brewing Company.
They also have the best collection of coaster rebus puzzles to entertain at the bar! We'd spend many a sultry Sunday afternoon at George's of Galilee's upstairs summer porch bar figuring them out while singing along with Glenn and Chuck of the Second Avenue Band. Oh, happy days!
https://www.narragansettbeer.com/blogs/news/2026-rebus-puzzle-answers?srsltid=AfmBOoqH-_OjwPcM1yiAReMlB6SktqDxcxLTAFxD6sPdJiDlLsjSd6fe

[buzzycrumbhunger]

10. LOL... They still make Schlitz?

That's one my dad used to drink--i assume because it was cheapest. I vaguely remember begging for a sip and it was vile... Ditto PBR. *willies*

Might be why I never developed a taste for beer. I can do a Guinness stout but that's where I draw the line.

[ornotna]

12. In high school it was our beer of choice

Quarts of Schlitz. Something we could afford.
When we had extra money and could splurge the beer of choice was Molson Golden Ale.

[Cheezoholic]

13. Black Label in the dayglo orange cans. Now there's one that makes Schlitz seem like a high dollar micro lol

And found out the hard way as a teenager that the cops could see those cans from a mile away lol.

[OAITW r.2.0]

15. "Nastygansetts" was my go to brew back in my "no money 70's days. I think it was the cheapest beer you could buy,

back in the day. Then. I found Kappy's and I could buy a case of Knick Naturals for $4 bucks.....

[Cheezoholic]

27. Red White and Blue or Weideman's. $3 a case! We called if fishing beer. A case, a dozen minnows and gas, $5 lol n/t

[NBachers]

16. Way back in my beer drinking days, Schlitz did a "recipe change New Schlitz" that made it even toxicer. I never drank it

after that. They essentially killed the brand off with that brilliant move.

In my hometown of Rochester New York we had plenty of local breweries, but we poo-poo'd the local stuff and looked up to Bud and Michelob or other national brews. But I went back to the Genesee Brewery last time I was there, and the straight Genesee Beer was some of the freshest, tastiest beer I've ever had.

I've gone from a six-pack a day to maybe six beers in a big year.

[AStern]

17. Genesee got way better...

So did Utica Club!

[NBachers]

18. Last UC I had,. I'd hitched up to Syracuse from Miami and had some odd change, so I bought a quart of UC. Unfortunately

it was skunky- You know when you take that first big swig and have to spew it out because the beer's gone bad?

I'll be back in Rochester in the fall- Maybe I'll revisit Schultz and Dooley and try a Utica Club.

[AStern]

20. UC has a microbrew - or did - called Saranac

in different varieties, Amber, IPA, etc. that tasted good.

I think microbrews forced them to make a better product or else.

https://www.saranac.com/

[OAITW r.2.0]

24. Genesee was a good brew. so was Rolling Rock.

[marble falls]

19. When I stationed in Great Lakes in the early 70s, we'd go to drink Schlitz at a tap room a block away from ...

... the brewery in Milwaukee. Man was it good and $.25 a tall glass, for sailors.

[FHRRK1]

23. In Phoenix we had twenty five cent beer night

A San Francisco Giant AAA team.

A buck or two to get into the game. Four 10oz beers for a dollar. Fifty cents in the pool to pay for gas. Three to four dollars and you had a night out.

[OAITW r.2.0]

25. At my school. every dorm had a bar. We had 8 for $2.00 draft beer cards we could purchase.

Get a beer, get your ticket punched. Oddly enough, I didn't need a 2nd ticket.