This famous beer is about to be brewed for the last time

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Schlitz beer is about to be brewed for the last time.Wisconsin Brewing Company, with permission from Schlitz's owner, Pabst Brewing Company, announced it'll brew a final 80-barrel batch on Saturday, May 23, at its Verona brewery. The batch will be brewed using Schlitz's specifications dating back to 1948, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.The company was founded in 1849 in a Milwaukee tavern before later expanding and, at one time, becoming America's largest brewer. Kirby Nelson with Wisconsin Brewing Co. said he wanted the brand to go out with "dignity and respect," according to the Journal Sentinel.Pabst Brewing Company stopped brewing Schlitz months ago, reported local TV station WQOW.The final brew on Saturday is a throwback to "Schlitz's glory days," Nelson said, adding that it is "Wisconsin Brewing Company's love letter to our state."How to order the beer?The last batch will be available for pre-order on May 23 on Wisconsin Brewing Co.'s website, according to the outlet. The beer will then be available on June 27.What is Schlitz?Schlitz began in 1849 as a tavern brewery owned by August Krug, according to the Journal Sentinel. After Krug died in 1856, Joseph Schlitz, the company's bookkeeper, bought the company and renamed it.Schlitz died at sea five years later, but the company was acquired as the city's brewing industry exploded. This made the company one of the country's largest beer companies.Still, the company had stiff competition from rival brands: Miller and Pabst. In 1981, Schlitz announced it would cease operations, before Pabst Brewing Co. purchased the company in 1999.It relaunched in 2008 but did not reach the popularity it once had, prompting the company to discontinue the brand this month.Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.