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SCHLITZ
HISTORY
ALL THINGS START WITH
SCHLITZ!
| 1850 |
20 year old Joseph Schlitz immigrates to
Milwaukee from Germany and is hired by August Krug to work
as bookkeeper in Krug’s small tavern brewery. |
| 1853 |
The brewery produces 300 barrels of beer. |
| 1856 |
August Krug dies and Schlitz takes over the
brewery renaming it the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. |
| 1859 |
The brewery now produces and sells about
2,000 barrels of beer. |
| 1870’s |
After the Chicago Fire, Schlitz sends
hundreds of barrels of beer to the city, earning it the
reputation of “The beer that made Milwaukee famous”. |
| 1886 |
The trademark "Belted Globe" is
used on all of its bottle labels. |
| 1893 |
The slogan "The Beer That Made
Milwaukee Famous" is introduced at the Columbian
Exposition in Chicago. |
| 1902 |
Schlitz surpasses Pabst, selling over 1
million barrels of beer that year, making it the largest
brewery in the world. |
| 1911 |
Schlitz introduces the now ubiquitous
“Brown Bottle”, an innovation that prevents light from
spoiling beer before it can be served. |
| 1920 |
Prohibition is enacted and the brewery
changed its name to the Joseph Schlitz Beverage Company,
and its slogan to “the Drink that made Milwaukee famous. |
| 1933 |
Prohibition ends and the company changes its
name back. Production resumes to pre-Prohibition levels. |
| 1942 |
Due to rationing for the war, canned beer
is only offered to the military and only in Olive Drab
cans. |
| 1947 |
Schlitz beer is now once again available to
the general public. |
| 1950’s |
In the years following World War II,
Schlitz again becomes among the most popular beers in the
world, selling 6.35 million barrels in 1952. |
| 1952 |
Schlitz introduces the 7oz “Little Joe”
bottle. |
| 1954 |
Schlitz introduces the industry’s first
16oz flat top beer can. |
| 1956 |
The 24oz "Tall Boy" is introduced
by Schlitz. |
| 1960 |
Schlitz introduces the first Aluminum
"Soft Top' can. |
| 1963 |
Schlitz introduces the first "Pop
Top" can. |
| 1960’s |
Schlitz brings its renowned advertising
savvy to television and introduces the now famous “Real
Gusto” campaign. |
| 1970 |
The company’s existing breweries can no
longer keep up with demand. A 34-acre brewery with an
annual production capacity of 4.4 million barrels is
opened in Winston-Salem, NC. It is the largest brewery
ever built. |
| 1973 |
The company sells 21.3 million barrels of
beer. |
| 1982 |
The Schlitz Brewing Company is acquired by
Stroh's. |
| 1999 |
The Pabst Brewing Company acquires the
rights to the Schlitz brand. |
| 2001 |
Schlitz is now available only in cans. |
| 2007 |
The ‘Classic 60’s Formula’, the one
that made Schlitz the most popular beer in the country in
the 1950s and 1960s, is back. |
| 2008 |
The ‘Classic 60’s Formula’ of
Schlitz, in traditional brown glass bottles, returns to
its birthplace, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. |
History as listed at Schlitz
http://www.schlitzgusto.com/history/default.aspx
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