The beer that made Milwaukee famous hopes to stage a comeback by returning to a brewing formula discarded over 30 years ago.
Louis Glunz Beer was the first distributor of Schlitz in Chicago, where a few taverns and liquor stores on Monday began carrying a classic version of the modern-day brand. Glunz, a fourth-generation family business, began distributing Schlitz in 1893.
Schlitz had been available only in cans for several years until the brand’s owner, Pabst Brewing Co., began selling it in bottles last year in Minneapolis and Tampa, Fla.
That bottled version of Schlitz, which uses a traditional recipe last used in the early ’70s, was snapped up by older baby boomers who remember the beer from its glory days, before Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co. cheapened the formula. On Monday, 10 Chicago taverns and liquor stores began carrying the bottled version.
If demand expands, sales of classic Schlitz could spread to Milwaukee and other cities, Wortham said.
Changes not popularSchlitz was advertised for decades as “The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous.” By the 1950s, it was the nation’s largest brewer, with additional breweries outside Wisconsin. But in the ’60s and ’70s, Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co. did some things that affected the beer’s taste.
In 1967, Schlitz patented a process that accelerated fermentation, according to the book “Breweries of Wisconsin” by Jerry Apps. That was followed by apparent changes in ingredients, including a different type of barley and the use of corn instead of barley, Apps wrote.
Drinkers noticed and turned away, said John Gurda, Milwaukee historian and author.
“That stuff was undrinkable in the ’70s,” Gurda said. “It had a very pronounced chemical taste.”
My experiences over the last few years have taught me that quality control has not been a recent point of emphasis for Schlitz. Still, I’m excited about this. I think a B-double-E-double-R-U-N is in order. With one solid road trip we (as in anyone else who is willing and I) can pick up some Schlitz (maybe some Stroh) and definitely some Fat Tire.
Do you think they’re putting acetone in the beer?