One of the most well-known beer brands in the US at one point was Schlitz. However, it started to dramatically diminish in the 1970s, and by the 1980s, it had virtually disappeared from store shelves. Then why did Schlitz beer disappear?
August Krug founded Schlitz beer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1849, and Joseph Schlitz took control in 1858. Schlitz beer became well-liked throughout the Midwest and eventually rose to prominence as one of the most popular brews in the country. The company’s collapse, however, started in the 1970s when they altered their recipe in an effort to boost output and save expenses.
The beer had a shorter shelf life and a distinct flavor because to the new recipe’s high-temperature fermentation. Consumers did not like the new recipe, and the company’s reputation took a hit as a result. Furthermore, a brewery workers’ strike in 1976 halted production and led to a shortage of Schlitz beer.
The business was sold to Stroh Brewery Company in 1981, who made an effort to resurrect the brand by using the original recipe. But by this time, the damage was done, and the brand found it difficult to reclaim its prior appeal. The Schlitz brand was purchased by Pabst Brewing Company in 1999, and it is still offered today, but on a much smaller basis.
Other formerly well-known beer brands in the US that have fallen or vanished include Schlitz beer. Stroh’s beer, which was established in Detroit, Michigan, in 1850, is one such instance. In the Midwest, Stroh’s beer was a well-known brand, but the business encountered financial problems in the 1980s and was eventually acquired by Pabst Brewing Company in 1999. Another illustration is the Lemp Brewery in St. Louis, Missouri, which, in the late 1800s, was one of the biggest breweries in the country. The brewery, however, ran into financial problems and shut down in 1920 during Prohibition.
The issue of who brewed generic beer is left until last. The term “generic beer” was used to characterize inexpensive, subpar beer that was offered under numerous brand names but was not actually brewed by a single business. Smaller, regional breweries that lacked the equipment necessary to manufacture high-quality beer frequently produced these kinds of brews.
In conclusion, a recipe modification that consumers did not like and a strike that stopped production were to blame for the decline of Schlitz beer. Although the brand is still sold today, it is on a considerably lower scale than it was during its prime. Stroh’s beer and the Lemp Brewery, two formerly well-known beer businesses, experienced financial difficulties and eventually shut down. On the other hand, local, smaller breweries produced generic beer rather than a single, large corporation.
Indeed, Hamm’s beer is still produced today.