Media Contact
Adam Allington
This weekend is the last call for one of America's most iconic beer brands, Schlitz, which is being put on indefinite hiatus after being brewed for more than 175 years.
Douglass Miller
Senior lecturer in Food and Beverage Management
Douglass Miller, a senior lecturer in food and beverage management at Cornell University, says Schlitz will now join the likes of many products that were once very popular with consumers, such as Ripple and Tab.
Miller says:
“Known as ‘the beer that made Milwaukee famous,’ Schlitz's downfall began in the late 1970s, when it changed how the beer was made, causing pushback from consumers. The beer has experienced declining sales for about 40 years.
“The brewery has received more media attention over the brand's discontinuation than it has in years. But Schlitz Brewing Company is far from the only large brewery to have closed in recent decades. Other heritage brands, such as Ballantine’s, Lone Star, National Bohemian, Stroh’s and Rainier, no longer have standalone brewing facilities, but are still available to consumers.
“Like those brands, Schlitz’s core assets and intellectual property are now owned by Blue Ribbon Holdings, in partnership with TSG Consumer Partners, an investment company. Who knows, Blue Ribbon may revive the brand for future marketing one day.”
