MILWAUKEE — Pabst Brewing Company has decided to discontinue the sale Schlitz beer, according to a Milwaukee area beer distributor and multiple bar owners.
The news marks the end of a brand that was once synonymous with Milwaukee itself. At its peak, the Schlitz Brewing Company was the largest brewery in the country and employed thousands of people.
Watch: How Schlitz beer is being remembered in Milwaukee as Pabst Brewing Company announced the beer would be discontinued.
Sean McCarthy, co-owner of Wolski's Tavern, said the loss carries weight far beyond the beer itself.
"Without having the breweries Milwaukee wouldn't be a big city," McCarthy said.
Wolski's has served Schlitz for over 100 years, originally operating as a Schlitz tied house.
"We were originally a Schlitz tied house like we were a Schlitz bar, and we tried to stay true to our roots," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said the discontinuation is comparable to losing one of Milwaukee's other iconic brands.
"With Schlitz being gone that'd be like if Harley or Kohl's were to disappear today or Milwaukee Tools. It was that significant an era ago. It's impactful for the history of Milwaukee," McCarthy said.
Paul Vento, a longtime Milwaukee resident, said he hopes the community can send the beer off on a positive note.
"There's nothing we can do about it preventing it from going away, but it's like a funeral we might as well give it a proper send off," Vento said.
McCarthy said the discontinuation reflects a broader shift away from Milwaukee as a hub of beer production.
"We still do have a decent presence in Milwaukee it's just unfortunate that those corporate headquarters aren't here anymore and some of those decisions aren't keeping Milwaukee at heart," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said he hopes to hold one final celebration at Wolski's before the last kegs of Schlitz are gone. The bar sits near Schlitz Park in downtown Milwaukee, where the footprint of the legendary brewery still stands.
TMJ4 reached out to Pabst Brewing Company for comment but did not receive a response.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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