Silicon Investor - BEER

[Thomas M.] Schlitz, the beer that led to Stroh's downfall, to cease production Schlitz, th...

Thomas M. — 5/20/2026 9:10:53 PM

Schlitz, the beer that led to Stroh's downfall, to cease production

Schlitz, the beer brand whose 1982 purchase by the Stroh Brewing Co. led to the the demise of the Detroit brewer, is no more.

Pabst Brewing Co. is ending production of Schlitz, which began as a Milwaukee tavern brewery and was once America's largest brewer. The company, founded in 1849, was sold to Pabst in 1999.

Less than two decades earlier, Detroit's Stroh Brewing Co. plunged into a $500 million cash purchase of Jos. Schlitz Brewing. At the time, Stroh was the nation's seventh largest brewer and Schlitz was third, and Stroh hoped the purchase would give it a national footprint, competitive with the larger Anheuser Busch and Miller brewing companies.

But that purchase has largely been credited with leaving Stroh, a family owned Detroit brewer since 1850, overextended with debt, contributing to its downfall by 1999. The Stroh's beer brand, along with Schlitz, were sold to Pabst.

To send the iconic Milwaukee brand off, Kirby Nelson with Wisconsin Brewing Co. will brew a final 80-barrel batch of Schlitz on Saturday, May 23 at its Verona brewery. Nelson will then give a talk about the brand at 1 p.m.

Nelson said Schlitz deserves to go out with "dignity and respect." So, he'll be brewing with the company's specifications from 1948, when it was on top of the U.S. brewing industry.

"This is back to Schlitz's glory days," Nelson said, adding that the brew "is Wisconsin Brewing Company's love letter to our state."

Pre-orders for the final Schlitz will open May 23 on Wisconsin Brewing Co.'s website. The beer will be available on June 27. That same day, Wisconsin Brewing Co. will hold a public event celebrating the brand.

Nelson will also serve the Schlitz at Old World Wisconsin's 50th anniversary celebration in Eagle on July 4.

Now, Schlitz can be hard to find even in dive bars. But it was once the largest brewer in the United States, and one of the companies that put Milwaukee on the map.

Schlitz was founded in 1849 as a Milwaukee tavern brewery by August Krug. Joseph Schlitz, then a company bookkeeper, acquired and renamed the brewery Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. following Krug's death in 1856.

In 1870, Schlitz built a giant brewery on what is now King Drive and Galena Street. Schlitz died at sea five years later, and the Uihleins took over the company just as Milwaukee's brewing industry experience massive growth. By the end of Prohibition, it was America's biggest beer company and one of Milwaukee's largest employers.

Through the 1970s, Schlitz became one of Milwaukee's biggest corporate benefactors, funding the Fourth of July lakefront fireworks, Circus Parade and Old Milwaukee Days, which would later evolve into Summerfest.

But around that time, the brewer had fallen to fourth place and behind two of its Milwaukee competitors, Miller and Pabst. Company leaders attempted to cut costs by changing its ingredients, but the move only alienated loyal Schlitz drinkers.

Schlitz then targeted its Milwaukee brewery for cost cutting, reportedly looking to eliminate up to 200 jobs starting in 1981. More than 700 workers went on strike in response. But in July 1981, the company announced it would shut down the brewery for good.

Schlitz was sold in 1982 to Stroh Brewing Co., which shut down all remaining Milwaukee operations. After more than 130 years, Schlitz left the city it helped make famous.

Schlitz was acquired by Pabst and relaunched in 2008, but its presence in Wisconsin remained relatively small. Nelson said he cherishes the opportunity to hold Schlitz's final brew right where it all began.

"For a brewer such as myself, this is as flattering as it comes," he said.

detroitnews.com

Tom

[Savant] Alcohol industry displeased with Biden czar considering call to have just two dr...

Savant — 8/26/2023 2:04:43 PM

Alcohol industry displeased with Biden czar considering call to have just two drinks a week
Alcohol industry displeased with Biden czar considering call to have just two drinks a week | Washington Examiner

[Savant] msn.com

Savant — 5/25/2023 2:18:07 PM

[Savant] Scientists At Budweiser Attempt To Discover How Many Beers It Would Take For Dyl...

Savant — 4/5/2023 12:50:20 PM

Scientists At Budweiser Attempt To Discover How Many Beers It Would Take For Dylan Mulvaney To Pass As A Woman | Babylon Bee

[kidl] Interesting! Thanks for the beer aging lesson. While Tesla's beer doesn't seem ...

kidl — 4/3/2023 11:45:36 AM

Interesting! Thanks for the beer aging lesson.

While Tesla's beer doesn't seem to qualify, a lot of Teslaratis will buy and just hang on to it not for the eventual taste.

No matter how you look at it, great marketing gimmick.

[Savant] k, actually, some do...but not most pilseners Beer Aging Guide | Should I Age...

Savant — 4/3/2023 11:22:22 AM

k, actually, some do...but not most pilseners

Beer Aging Guide | Should I Age My Beer? | VinePair

How to Age Beer at Home - Eater

[kidl] I wonder if these buyers realize that beer doesn't get better with age :-)

kidl — 4/3/2023 10:38:03 AM

[Savant] Tesla launches GigaBier: A Cybertruck-inspired $30 beer | Electrek [graphic]

Savant — 4/3/2023 10:06:25 AM

Tesla launches GigaBier: A Cybertruck-inspired $30 beer | Electrek

[yard_man] Said I was paying too much ... but then, yes, I was impressed ... not for every...

yard_man — 12/18/2022 6:36:48 PM

Said I was paying too much ... but then, yes, I was impressed ... not for everyone.

Everyone has different tastes. But if you like coffee stouts:

lagunitas.com

giving this a 9-star rating.

Don't want to have more than one at the time.

Delicious.

[Savant] Fetch me a bier please tiktok.com@pubity/video/7155254810730663174

Savant — 10/17/2022 12:48:11 PM

[Savant] Untapped, but not UnTracked...you can run, drink, but you cannot hide Researche...

Savant — 5/14/2022 3:33:45 PM

Untapped, but not UnTracked...you can run, drink, but you cannot hide

Researchers Use a Beer App To Track the Military and CIA
Users checking in with the app unknowingly shared location data, including trips to a secret CIA training facility.

By Kyle Mizokami
May 20, 2020

A beer networking app with millions of followers inadvertently allowed security researchers to track military and intelligence personnel, including at a top secret CIA facility.

Researchers with the group Bellingcat discovered check-ins at places as diverse as the Pentagon, Germany, and Greenland. The researchers also discovered shared photos that included shots of government ID cards, documents, and military hardware. The data could be used to reconstruct travel and work habits of military and intelligence personnel, including precise locations.

The beer rating app Untappd has a big following in the U.S. and Europe, and is used by beer drinkers to discover new bars, breweries, and beers. Users rate beers, unlock badges, get directions to local events, and most importantly share that information with others. Untappd has 8 million users, including those in armed forces and intelligence agencies worldwide.

Unfortunately, according to researchers, users sometimes share too much information, and the app shares too much about them.

Researcher Foeke Postma documents how he was able to collect data from Untappd. Using data collected by the app, Postma was able to follow the movements of users military and intelligence personnel, typically through check-ins at bars or breweries near their workplaces—and even at a secret CIA base.

In one instance, Postma was able to track an individual working for U.S. intelligence all the way to Camp Peary, Virginia. Nicknamed “The Farm,” Camp Peary is a CIA facility used for field training and allegedly as a hub in the transport of suspected terrorists. The individual shared a photo of a beer that Postma was able to geolocate to a specific building at Camp Peary, pinpointing the exact location it was taken. Other individuals shared photos of beers that included pictures of government identification cards, the numbers on debit cards, and government documents that were best left out of the picture.

One of the most fascinating uses for Untappd data: using user check-ins to discover non-military locations they have in common. An intelligence agency could, for example, locate bars frequented by service members near military bases, discover the most popular beer there, and then send spies to ingratiate themselves with those personnel, ordering their favorite beer—and hopefully getting someone to spill secrets.

Like many social media sites, Untappd can serve as a collection point for internet researchers like Bellingcat or rival intelligence agencies seeking valuable information. Social networks collect more information than users are often aware of, and that data can be used by third parties.

popularmechanics.com

F/B TF

[TimF] Ban BEEReaucrats [youtube video] youtube.com

TimF — 10/5/2021 9:16:01 PM

[Savant] Finding Utopia....paying for it is another matter... 28% Sam Adams brews beer ...

Savant — 9/20/2021 11:25:00 AM

Finding Utopia....paying for it is another matter...

28%

Sam Adams brews beer so good it’s actually illegal (msn.com)

[Savant] 9,000 yr old site with evidence of ritualistic beer drinking...China Burial site...

Savant — 9/4/2021 10:03:01 AM

9,000 yr old site with evidence of ritualistic beer drinking...China
Burial site reveals evidence of beer drinking 9,000 years ago in China - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News

[roto] I want to know.. is this the thread I can put a hex on Budweiser? they fuck** my...

roto — 6/30/2021 11:51:10 AM

I want to know.. is this the thread I can put a hex on Budweiser? they fuck** my RedHook beer years ago.

[Savant] 120 yr old yeast from shipwreck being studied and reused to attempt to resurrect...

Savant — 6/24/2021 10:35:49 AM

120 yr old yeast from shipwreck being studied and reused to attempt to resurrect old beer styles

The treasure inside beer lost in a shipwreck 120 years ago - BBC Future

[Savant] Just another leader 'soaking' the poor... Cheers, Pip Pip, Tally (the profits) ...

Savant — 5/6/2021 2:03:06 PM

Just another leader 'soaking' the poor...

Cheers, Pip Pip, Tally (the profits) Ho'

[Savant] Just another leader 'soaking' the poor... Cheers, Pip Pip, Tally Ho'

Savant — 5/6/2021 2:02:31 PM

[kidl] You can now drink beer made by the Queen -- or, at least, her estate cnn.com

kidl — 5/6/2021 1:43:43 PM

[SIer formerly known as Joe B.] Craft Brewers to Biden: Protect Our Most Important Ingredient Fifty-five craft ...

SIer formerly known as Joe B. — 4/14/2021 12:09:08 PM

Craft Brewers to Biden: Protect Our Most Important Ingredient

Fifty-five craft breweries submitted a letter asking the administration to ensure their businesses—and their communities—maintain access to clean, safe waterways.

nrdc.org

[Savant] women dominated beer brewing, until they became witches Women Dominated Beer Bre...

Savant — 3/14/2021 8:03:42 PM

women dominated beer brewing, until they became witches
Women Dominated Beer Brewing Until They Were Accused of Being Witches | History | Smithsonian Magazine

[Savant] World first: Dutch brewery burns iron as a clean, recyclable fuel newatlas.com

Savant — 11/5/2020 6:21:17 PM

[Glenn Petersen] Sunday Strategist: Smart Breweries Are Becoming Platforms By Kyle Stock Bloomb...

Glenn Petersen — 10/18/2020 2:10:29 PM

Sunday Strategist: Smart Breweries Are Becoming Platforms

By Kyle Stock
Bloomberg
October 18, 2020, 7:00 AM EDT

There has been much sturm and drang of late around a simple question: what do we want to drink?

For a while it was craft beer, then millennials, apparently, killed beer. More recently, there was a cocktail craze, at least until teetotaling came back in fashion. Now, apparently, spiked seltzer is the buzz.

To Waterloo Brewing Ltd. it doesn't really matter. Over the past eight years, the Ontario-based beermaker spent $65 million to expand its facilities; now it's selling that capacity to the highest bidder. Mind you, Waterloo's in-house beer is moving just fine -- in fact its volume swelled by 25% in the recent quarter -- but renting its facility is a savvy hedge in a drinks industry grasping at straws.

Waterloo is going to suck up business both up-market and down. Liquor giants are keen to try new concoctions and expand in Canada; for these companies, Waterloo is essentially a cheap skunkworks. Meanwhile, the market is awash in beverage startups that have solid brand-building chops, but lack the experience and/or the capital to build a brew-house. Waterloo already has contracts to mix up canned cocktails for Absolut vodka, ciders for Somersby and 10 other concoctions.

Waterloo is no longer betting as heavily that people will like its Pineapple Radler, for example, it's betting that the booze industry is frantic to find the next hot category -- it's thirsty as the social media mantra goes. So-called co-packing, or contract brewing, is increasingly common and the strategy shift has pushed Waterloo shares up by a heady 40% this year.

What's interesting here beyond booze is that Waterloo is essentially shifting from a "pipes" business model to a platform. So-called pipe businesses create something, push it down the channel and hope people liked it. Platform businesses simply connect producers to consumers. Waterloo has become a place to publish, if you will, and it gets paid whether consumers like what it's cranking out or not.

To borrow another metaphor, the brewery used to be a TV network, now it's YouTube. More accurately, it's a little bit of both. Netflix may be the best analogy, or HBO, offering a catalogue of original creations and stuff made elsewhere. The drinks business may be chaos, but as they said on Game of Thrones: chaos is a ladder.

bloomberg.com

[Glenn Petersen] Well said. Wouldn't do it any other way.

Glenn Petersen — 7/27/2020 5:16:58 PM

[Savant] Old saying... Beer before Whiskey, mighty risky Whiskey before Beer, full of Ch...

Savant — 7/27/2020 4:29:52 PM

Old saying...
Beer before Whiskey, mighty risky

Whiskey before Beer, full of Cheer

[Glenn Petersen] Craft brews and single malts for me, though generally not together. The hard se...

Glenn Petersen — 7/27/2020 3:36:34 PM

Craft brews and single malts for me, though generally not together.

The hard seltzer thing may be a pandemic thing. I'd be worried if Ripple made a comeback. :)

[seminole] Young Americans like sweet and healthy. It's a fad not unlike wine coolers years...

seminole — 7/27/2020 3:10:48 PM

Young Americans like sweet and healthy.
It's a fad not unlike wine coolers years ago, IMO.

My daughter ran the NY Marathon for Michelob Ultra.
They paraded her from party to party, event to event
implying Ultra is the way to look athletic and fit and ignoring
the reality that she was running the hills of SF, 80 miles a week.

Just a bitter and happy hop drinker.

[Glenn Petersen] Boston Beer CEO says hard seltzer is biggest shift ‘since light beer’ as company...

Glenn Petersen — 7/26/2020 11:02:59 AM

Boston Beer CEO says hard seltzer is biggest shift ‘since light beer’ as company’s stock soars

PUBLISHED FRI, JUL 24 20205:48 PM EDT
Jesse Pound @JESSERPOUND
CNBC.com

KEY POINTS

-- “There’s this fundamental shift right now that hasn’t happened in the beer category since light beer was launched in the late ’70s, which is called hard seltzer,” CEO Dave Burwick said on “Closing Bell.”

-- Shares of Boston Beer, which owns the Truly brand of hard seltzer, spiked more than 25% on Friday, a day after the company reported second-quarter earnings.

-- Even with that overall growth, the pandemic is amplifying prior trends, he said, including the shift to more hard seltzer

Boston Beer’s chief executive officer said Friday that the hard seltzer craze is the biggest shift for beer drinkers in four decades, following an earnings report that sent his company’s shares skyrocketing.

“There’s this fundamental shift right now that hasn’t happened in the beer category since light beer was launched in the late ’70s, which is called hard seltzer,” CEO Dave Burwick said on “ Closing Bell.”

Shares of Boston Beer, which owns the Truly brand of hard seltzer, spiked more than 25% on Friday, a day after the company reported second-quarter earnings. The beverage maker beat Wall Street estimates for earnings and revenue, according to FactSet, and grew its per-share earnings by more than 100% compared with the same quarter last year.

Being stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic has increased overall demand for beer and seltzer, Burwick said, and the company’s comparable shipments increased by more than 35% during the quarter. Even with that overall growth, the pandemic is amplifying prior trends, he said, including the shift to more hard seltzer

“Millenials, say 21- to 35-year-olds today, are not drinking as much as the people who came before them, but they’re drinking better. When you look at those trends of health and wellness, variety seeking and premiumization, it all supports the growth of this hard seltzer category,” Burwick said.

Elsewhere in the business, Burwick said that the pandemic had shifted demand to recognizable brands. The Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Angry Orchard Crisp Apple brands grew by double digits in recent months, he said.

Boston Beer’s stock has now jumped by 119% so far this year. Burwick said the company focused on keeping its supply chain and production lines running early in the pandemic to avoid major work disruptions and has found ways to grow.

“We’re in a category where there’s not a lot of growth ... and I think we’re being rewarded for growth and rewarded for keeping the business operating as best we can,” Burwick said.

cnbc.com

[Savant] Guiness is using their surplus beer for WHAT? msn.com

Savant — 6/30/2020 12:56:02 PM

[seminole] Just bottled my Covid IPA. Northern Brewer for 60' during the boil. Simcoe, Cit...

seminole — 6/10/2020 8:15:18 PM

Just bottled my Covid IPA.
Northern Brewer for 60' during the boil.
Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo added at 15' and 0' and for the dry hop

[Bryson Flanderfield] Who want's to share some beer?

Bryson Flanderfield — 5/12/2020 3:02:17 PM

[Savant] oh nooooo stale beer? do your share msn.com

Savant — 4/29/2020 1:30:44 PM

[Goose94] ZZ Top - Beer Drinkers and Hellraisers [youtube video]

Goose94 — 4/22/2020 9:54:59 PM

[Savant] CO2 shortage...no fear...home brew w/bottle fermentation is here dailymail.co.uk

Savant — 4/20/2020 10:02:34 AM

[Savant] Happy National Beer Day

Savant — 4/7/2020 6:00:57 PM

[Julius Wong] Corona beer stops production cnn.com

Julius Wong — 4/4/2020 8:10:41 AM

[Jerry Held] I think you're right in what you are saying, but unfortunately, I really do thin...

Jerry Held — 3/1/2020 7:12:22 PM

I think you're right in what you are saying, but unfortunately, I really do think there is a smaller percentage who think drinking Corona is what can give you the virus. It was actually a story on our local news network two weeks ago.

I hope that if I get the Corona virus, I get Lyme disease too, because you know you can't have Corona without a lime!

[TimF] I don't think the reporting on that one is very good. Its not clear if its 38% s...

TimF — 3/1/2020 6:31:37 PM

I don't think the reporting on that one is very good. Its not clear if its 38% saying specifically that they would never buy because of the virus outbreak or 38 percent saying they would never buy with only a portion of that being because of the outbreak.

Out of those who wouldn't buy it because of the outbreak its unclear how many would not do so because they actually think it increase their risk and how many because they just don't want to buy something even vaguely connected (and that could be "I think its bad luck", "it just makes me think of the virus and I don't want to", "I think it callous to drink it now", or something else).

[seminole] In San Diego, the air temperatures are not usually cool enough to brew a lager w...

seminole — 3/1/2020 12:57:23 PM

In San Diego, the air temperatures are not usually cool enough to brew a lager
without refrigeration. Frustrated early settlers found a high temperature
fermentation yeast (San Francisco Lager Yeast) and created a Steam Lager
or California Common Lager.

Here is my first California Common Lager fermented at 64 F.

[Julius Wong] Survey: 38% of Americans won’t buy Corona beer ‘under any circumstances’ because...

Julius Wong — 3/1/2020 10:22:27 AM

Survey: 38% of Americans won’t buy Corona beer ‘under any circumstances’ because of coronavirus outbreak

ktla.com

[Savant] Jan 17, 1920, a day that shall live in infamy... Prohibition msn.com

Savant — 1/17/2020 12:06:48 PM

[SIer formerly known as Joe B.] 10tv.com [graphic]

SIer formerly known as Joe B. — 11/18/2019 7:04:37 PM

10tv.com

[kidl] Beer cans being put to good use: Message 32408565

kidl — 11/8/2019 12:46:26 AM

[Julius Wong] A Man Kept Getting Drunk Without Using Alcohol. It Turns Out, His Gut Brews Its ...

Julius Wong — 10/24/2019 8:39:23 PM

A Man Kept Getting Drunk Without Using Alcohol. It Turns Out, His Gut Brews Its Own Booze.

livescience.com

[Savant] Problematic Diastatic Yeast detection VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland ...

Savant — 10/21/2019 5:52:52 PM

Problematic Diastatic Yeast detection
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

phys.org

[Julius Wong] The secret of classic Belgian beers? Medieval super-yeasts phys.org

Julius Wong — 10/21/2019 1:06:04 PM

[Savant] Battle of the 'Lite-Uns'...and video about expiring craft brew excise tax cut ...

Savant — 10/19/2019 8:09:51 PM

Battle of the 'Lite-Uns'...and video about expiring craft brew excise tax cut

msn.com

at bottom of above link
Related video: Craft breweries at risk as tax cut set to expire (provided by CBS News)

[marcos] 205 yrs ago today, tragedy at Horse Shoe Brewery - en.wikipedia.org

marcos — 10/17/2019 11:16:56 PM

[Savant] msn.com

Savant — 10/16/2019 1:44:23 PM

[Savant] latest ?greatest?, the previous hi was 23%, that I recall...some strong yeast, t...

Savant — 10/13/2019 8:46:25 PM

latest ?greatest?, the previous hi was 23%, that I recall...some strong yeast, that

Why carry a 6 pack, when one bottle, will do