Sold-out Schlitz an 'overwhelming success'

Milwaukee-area beer lovers are discovering a lot of places are out of Schlitz, at least in the bottled form.

Within days of the Schlitz 1960s formula being brought back to Milwaukee, the beer has largely sold out, snapped up by both older guys who remember the beer from back in the day and younger drinkers curious about the fuss.

A new shipment is coming to liquor stores and taverns beginning Wednesday, but it will be relatively small, said Mike Merriman, president of Beer Capitol Distributing Inc., the wholesaler for Schlitz in Milwaukee County.

Pabst Brewing Co., which owns the Schlitz brand, is expanding production based on the heavy demand in Milwaukee, and Merriman hopes to see the supply situation smoothed out by mid-July. Until then, he said, it will be "a little bit hit and miss" for consumers.

"The overwhelming success was much better than anticipated," Merriman said Tuesday.

The bottled Schlitz, which is being sold as the "Classic 1960s formula," was first rolled out last year in Tampa, Fla., and Minneapolis. Pabst launched it in Chicago in April, and in Milwaukee last Tuesday.