Final Schlitz Batch Marks 177-Year Legacy as Milwaukee Classic Exits

Schlitz, the Milwaukee-born beer that once topped global markets, is being discontinued after 177 years. A final 80-barrel batch will be brewed May 23 at Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona, using an 80-year-old recipe to recreate Schlitz in its heyday, with the batch expected to reach fans June 27 at a commemorative event. Pre-orders open May 23. The brand’s decline followed production missteps and Budweiser’s rise, with ownership moving from Schlitz to Stroh in 1992, then to Pabst in 1999, which is winding it down.