MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — It was "the beer that made Milwaukee famous," the beer with "real gusto," and one of the first beers sold in brown bottles.

Now, after 177 thirst-quenching years, the end is near for Schlitz beer.

What was once the bestselling beer in America has now been phased out of production by parent company, Pabst Brewing.

"They have a certain minimum order quantity, and the liquid sales had declined to the point where they couldn't justify brewing it anymore," explained Kirby Nelson, the brewmaster at Wisconsin Brewing Company. "It's unfortunate, but it's reality."

Nelson confirmed Schlitz's discontinuation with Pabst Brewing Company. He currently runs Lake Louie Brewing within the Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona, about 10 miles south of Madison.

"I'm a Wisconsin guy, you know. Growing up was 'the beer that made Milwaukee famous' downstairs in my parents' basement," Nelson said. "It became a standard American lager, with just a kiss of the hops, and just took over the nation." 

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With 48 years in the industry, he considers himself a "brewing nerd," fascinated by its history - and Schlitz was a significant part of that history.

"Oh, in Milwaukee, you were either drinking Pabst or Schlitz," said Jim Haertel, the chief steward and owner of Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee.

Schlitz was founded in Milwaukee in 1849 by August Krug, then taken over by his bookkeeper, Joseph Schlitz. It grew popular after the Great Chicago Fire.

"Pabst and Schlitz started sending beer to Chicago, and the Chicagoans said, 'it's the beer that made Milwaukee famous,'" Haertel explained. "They were taking beer all over the nation. They were known as the national shippers, and nobody could compete with Pabst, Schlitz, and Budweiser for the next 100 years."

When Nelson recently heard the historic beer was quietly discontinued, he called up Pabst.

"We thought, you know, let's ask Pabst if they'll let us do the last Schlitz, so to speak," he said. "They got back to us a day later, saying, knock yourselves out, please do it, we're excited."

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Through a friend, Nelson got hold of Schlitz brewing logs from 1912 through the 1940s. That's what he's using to guide the final brew.

"We're trying to bring back a time when Schlitz was on top of the world," he explained. "If the beer's got to disappear, let it go out with respect and dignity."

Nelson will start brewing the beer on Saturday, May 23. Pre-orders will be available that day on Wisconsin Brewing Company's website.

He'll then tap the last Schlitz at Lake Louie/Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona on Saturday, June 27, during a big release party (more details to come).

Nelson also plans to bring the beer to Old World Wisconsin for their 50th anniversary celebration on July 4.

CBS 58 reached out to Pabst Brewing Company for comment and has not yet received a response.