Popular US beer brand is shutting down after 177 years
An American beer brand is shutting up shop after almost 200 years of life - but one expert has claimed production may not have ceased ‘forever’.
In 1849, German immigrant August Krug began brewing what would become Schlitz in the basement of his restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Following Krug’s death, his bookkeeper, Joseph Schlitz, took over, renamed, and scaled up the company, with its purple patch coming after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, as per Fox Business.
And despite once being the most popular beer in the United States, production is set to officially halt on Saturday (23 May) after 177 years of operations.
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Zac Nadile, a spokesperson for parent business Pabst Brewing Company, which acquired the drink brand in 1999, said continued cost increase had forced their hand, with Schlitz Premium on the chopping block as a result.
“Any brand or packaging configuration that is put on hiatus is still a cherished part of our history and hopefully our future,” the representative told People Magazine.
“We continually look for opportunities to bring back beloved brands, and customer feedback is important in shaping those discussions.”
On the day that Schlitz shuts up shop for good, Kirby Nelson, brewmaster of the Wisconsin Brewing Company, is set to helm the final batch of beer.
The latter will be made at the brand’s facility outside of Madison following a recipe replicating what the alcoholic beverage was like in its ‘golden age’, AKA the 1940s.
“This is very, very important to me because I'm from Wisconsin. Schlitz is such an important part of Wisconsin's, not just brewing heritage, [but] heritage and history overall,” Nelson said.
“This means a lot. It's a responsibility and I've got to do it right.”
Schlitz’s last bow will be on sale from 27 June, with pre-orders opening on Saturday.
Nelson told People that he hoped the alcoholic beverage would return to production in the near future.
"It got to the point where Schlitz just had to be discontinued, hopefully not forever,” he stated.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced plans to strip tariffs on UK whisky following a state visit from the British monarchy.
The 10 percent import levies, initially introduced last year, had previously been lobbied against by the Scottish and UK governments.
“In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful Country, I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland's ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important Industries within Scotland and Kentucky,” the businessman wrote via his social media site, Truth Social.
“People have wanted to do this for a long time, in that there had been great Inter-Country Trade, especially having to do with the Wooden Barrels used.”
He continued: “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking! A wonderful Honor to have them both in the U.S.A.”
Ella Scott