Pabst stopped brewing Schlitz months ago, ending the 1849 Milwaukee beer after 177 years because sales fell too low to meet contract production minimums.
Kirby Nelson of Wisconsin Brewing said Schlitz output had been shifted to a Busch plant in Texas, where required batch sizes exceeded the brand’s shrinking demand.
Wisconsin Brewing will brew one final batch on May 23, while Milwaukee Brat House plans "Last Schlitz on Earth" farewell parties on May 29 and May 30 before its remaining supply runs out.
Schlitz was once the largest brewer in the United States and remained a nostalgia brand in Milwaukee and Chicago, where its post-1871 fire history still lingers in old bar signs.
Could a different strategy have saved Schlitz, or was its fate sealed long ago?
As drinkers favor wellness and cocktails, is the era of the American lager over?