Schlitz beer brewed with its original formula will make its return to Milwaukee on Tuesday at Libiamo Restaurant, 221 W. Galena St., originally Schlitz’s Brown Bottle tasting room. The community is invited to the event, starting a 12 noon, to sample the 1960s formula. After the tasting ceremony, the beer will be ceremoniously delivered to 50 locations throughout Milwaukee, including Sobelman’s, Comet Café, Wolski’s, Nomad, Y Not II and many more.
"This is an incredible tasting beer – it’s got a lot more flavor than you find in the traditional liquids from many of the major brewers today," said Kyle Wortham, senior Schlitz brand manager for Pabst. "We keep hearing ‘It tastes like the beer I stole from my dad’s fridge.’" Through the mid 1970s, Schlitz was the second largest beer in the United States behind Budweiser. Changes in the beer’s formula, along with a large 1981 strike, caused a significant loss of market share, and its Milwaukee brewery was closed in the early 1980’s.
The beer brand is now owned by Pabst. In Milwaukee, Pabst’s beer is contract brewed by the Miller brewery, and the original Schlitz formula is being produced here as well, Wortham said.
