Old Milwaukee
A value-priced American dry lager with a long award history.
Old Milwaukee is an American dry lager brand under the Pabst Brewing Company. It comes in four varieties: Old Milwaukee Ice, Old Milwaukee Lager, Old Milwaukee Light, and Old Milwaukee Non-Alcoholic. The beer is made at breweries across the United States and sold in all fifty U.S. states, much of Canada, and a few other countries.
The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company first brewed Old Milwaukee in the 1930s as a budget beer. Production stopped in 1942 due to grain shortages from World War II, then resumed in January 1959. In 1982, Stroh Brewery Company of Detroit bought both Schlitz and the Old Milwaukee brand. Pabst Brewing Company acquired Stroh and all its beer brands and recipes in 2000, and Old Milwaukee remains with Pabst today.
In Canada, Sleeman Breweries of Guelph, Ontario—a division of Sapporo Breweries—bought Stroh Canada in 1999. This made Sleeman the Canadian brewer and distributor of Old Milwaukee. The deal doubled Sleeman’s production volume, though the brand competes on thinner profit margins than premium beers.
All three Old Milwaukee brews have won top prizes at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. Old Milwaukee Light took a Gold medal in the American-Style Light Lager category at the 2008 World Beer Cup. At the Great American Beer Festival, Old Milwaukee Lager earned medals in the American-Style Lager category: Bronze in 1997, Silver in 1998, Gold in 1999, Gold in 2003, Gold in 2004, and Silver in 2010. Old Milwaukee Light won Gold in 1997, Gold in 1999, Bronze in 2003, Silver in 2004, Gold in 2005, Gold in 2006, Gold in 2007, Silver in 2008, and Gold in 2011. Old Milwaukee Non-Alcoholic took Bronze in 1995, Gold in 1999, Silver in 2002, and Gold in 2004.
In 1991, Old Milwaukee TV ads featured a fictional “Swedish Bikini Team.” Actor Will Ferrell recorded a series of ads for the brand in 2013. In 2014, the company partnered with the Packard Brothers to produce the Pass Me a Beer series, with the latest installment showing Nick Packard and Tim Higgins performing tricky, comedic beer tosses in the Pass Me a Beer Summer Finale.
Quick Facts
- Abv
- 4.9%
- Manufacturer
- Pabst Brewing Company
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Old Milwaukee Beer was first brewed in the 1930s as a value-priced beer by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. It was discontinued in 1942 following grain shortages caused by World War II, but reintroduced in January 1959. In 1982, the Schlitz Brewing Company and the Old Milwaukee brand were acquired by Stroh Brewery Company of Detroit. In 2000, Stroh's and all of its beer brands and recipes were acquired by Pabst Brewing Company, where the brand currently resides.
Canada is one exception: in 1999, Sleeman Breweries of Guelph, Ontario (a division of Sapporo Breweries) acquired Stroh Canada, becoming the Canadian manufacturer and distributor of Old Milwaukee. The purchase doubled Sleeman's volumes, although the Old Milwaukee brand competes on lower margins than premium beers.
All three Old Milwaukee brews have won top honors at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. Old Milwaukee Light was awarded the Gold medal in the category American-Style Light Lager at the 2008 World Beer Cup. The brand's advertising history includes the fictional "Swedish Bikini Team" in 1991, ads by Will Ferrell in 2013, and the Pass Me a Beer series with the Packard Brothers starting in 2014.
Reader's Guide
Old Milwaukee holds a distinctive place in American brewing as a value-priced lager that has persisted through multiple corporate acquisitions and shifts in consumer taste. Its origins in the 1930s under Joseph Schlitz, a wartime discontinuation, and a 1959 reintroduction illustrate its resilience. The brand's transfer from Schlitz to Stroh in 1982 and then to Pabst in 2000 reflects the consolidation of the American beer industry. The Canadian exception—Sleeman Breweries acquiring Stroh Canada in 1999—shows how the brand adapted to regional markets, doubling Sleeman's volumes despite operating on lower margins. The consistent award record at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup across all three brews (Lager, Light, and Non-Alcoholic) demonstrates that value pricing did not preclude quality recognition. Advertising campaigns, from the Swedish Bikini Team to Will Ferrell and the Packard Brothers' Pass Me a Beer series, kept the brand culturally visible. Today, Old Milwaukee remains widely distributed across the United States, Canada, and select international markets, maintaining its identity as an accessible, award-winning dry lager.
Did You Know?
- It was discontinued in 1942 due to grain shortages from World War II and reintroduced in January 1959.
- Old Milwaukee Light won a Gold medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup in the American-Style Light Lager category.
- In 1991, Old Milwaukee ran TV ads featuring the fictional 'Swedish Bikini Team'.
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