Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co.

Schlitz Legends Continue by Mike Reilly

Last Revised 11/08/2007

    Earlier in Schlitz Brewing Co. history I made the statement that Joseph Schlitz's will never mentioned that the Uihlein inheritors were obligated or bound by its terms to continue Joseph Schlitz's name. I also said that fellow Schlitz historian, Leonard Jurgensen, and I discussed this matter at some length. We agree that the reasoning behind keeping the name was simple, the name Schlitz was very well known, business was growing, why change it. I would like to challenge anyone to find some documentation that would otherwise support the original myth.

On October 24, 1999, I did some further analysis of Joseph's and Anna Marie's respective wills and found that all control of the brewery actually went to Anna after Joseph's death.
    One thing the reader ought to be aware of is that it appears that Schlitz's original will is missing from the Milwaukee County Probate Office. When I was down there to examine a microfilm copy of it, I asked to see the original since the copy was difficult to read in some sections; these are supposed to be kept on hand as well. A search revealed that it was not available, and a call to the Milwaukee County Historical Society (it was thought to be given to them) also turned up nothing. Either the document is really lost in the mountains of archives or at some time a collector(?) walked off with it. I don't think anyone would actually reveal that they had such an item in their possession.
I guess that after reading about this legend time and time again in books and articles, noting that the writers never bothered to actually check the source, I thought it would be right to correct everyone's thinking in this book.

    Another legend or myth that comes up in discussion is how the slogan "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous" originated. Here is one topic where Mr. Jurgensen and I have a friendly disagreement. According to most widely accepted accounts, in 1893, Baron Alfred von Cotzhausen, president of the Milwaukee Fine Arts Co.; a lithographing firm that made beer labels for Schlitz, approached Schlitz employee, Ernest Bielefeld to discuss the use of this slogan. The two later met with August Uihlein, and on May 15, 1893, the slogan made its debut in Schlitz advertising (see following article "Great Fire Led to the Birth of Famous Slogan"). From the story you can imagine that the Baron thought up the slogan twenty-some years after the Great Chicago Fire, that vaulted Schlitz into the big-time. His thinking was that the Uihleins should take advantage of the incident that led to their world renown. Mr. Jurgensen reportedly has a letter written by a Uihlein family member in the 1930's (?) telling an inquirer how the slogan originated.

    I on the other hand prefer the story that a smaller brewery in Milwaukee (in this case Blatz) actually originated the slogan. In 1986 when the Heileman Brewing Co. was unveiling the new Val Blatz plant in Milwaukee, then CEO Russell Cleary, made statements (*see accompanying article excerpt) that strongly suggest that Heileman had uncovered proof that it was the Blatz company that sold the slogan to Schlitz in 1890, for $5,000. Mr. Cleary was reported to say or imply that if the Stroh Brewing Co. didn't make use of the slogan (after their acquisition of Schlitz) that he would like to buy it back to promote the Blatz products. Initial inquiry on my part to Heileman executives provided no substantiation to Mr. Cleary's remarks in 1986. But I will continue the investigation.

    I believe that back in the 1890's, Val Blatz was going through some difficult times, he had suffered numerous business reversals and would shortly end up selling his business to a London syndicate. But Blatz was also an entrepreneur and innovator; it would have been someone like him to have thought up the slogan. Why he didn't promote its use I don't know. Perhaps Baron von Cotzhausen was aware of this situation as well and became a party to the slogan moving from Blatz to Schlitz? And, why did the Baron approach only a Schlitz employee? He was undoubtedly an equal of August Uihlein, a member of "Milwaukee royalty"; so why the go-between?

    I would appreciate any reader's input on the controversy that surrounds the slogan's origin. Especially any Blatz products that might reveal the slogan's use.

    *Excerpt from article "Breweries, Old, New, and Protected" by George W. Hilton in The Breweriana Collector, Vol.55 Fall 1986.

The following are remarks made by Mr. Hilton who observed a press release given by Mr. Russell Cleary, then C.E.O. of Heileman Brewery, during the opening celebration of Heileman's new Val Blatz Brewery in Milwaukee.

   "Heileman, for it's part, is eager to retain it's identification with Blatz, and Blatz' identification with Milwaukee. The management (Heileman's) has ascertained that Blatz sold the slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous" to Schlitz for $5,000 in 1890. This may be a bit late to undo the transaction, but Cleary obviously considers this a very bad deal, indeed. Listening to his welcoming address, it seem reasonably clear that if Stroh (Brewery) drops the Schlitz brand, he would like to reclaim the slogan."

So... What do you think?

    Without going into an extensive description of the find, Mr. Clemans says that it consists of some of the earliest known examples of Milwaukee made glass bottles and some fine examples of early clays. Some of the bottles found are thought to be previously unknown, some possibly prototypes. Many what are considered today to be one of a kind bottles are also represented in the find.

March 31,1996 - by Mike Reilly, Editor

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