It's been a big year for Schlitz. Earlier this summer the classic '60s formula returned to the Milwaukee market with a bang, and now we are on the cusp of celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Schlitz Brown Bottle Restaurant in Milwaukee.
Although the brown glass beer bottle had been used since 1911, the Brown Bottle Guest Hall and Hospitality Center -- later known as the Brown Bottle Pub, and now Libiamo Restaurant -- did not open until Aug. 18, 1938.
The Museum of Beer & Brewing, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and displaying the proud history of beer and brewing, and Schlitz Historian Leonard Jurgensen host a celebratory event at Libiamo on Monday, Aug. 18 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Expect plenty of Schlitz, apps from Libiamo, as well as a presentation and Q&A with Jurgensen.
When Dean Cannestra opened Libiamo in the former Brown Bottle space in 2005, he kept the original woodwork, lighting and plaster intact. The wrought iron hanging light fixtures were made by Cyril Colnik, an Austrian who immigrated to Milwaukee in 1893.
Cost for the event is $15 for members $25 for non members. This event benefits the Museum of Beer and Brewing.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
