Tavern Taps Chicago's Last Barrel of Schlitz

Chicago's long relationship with Schlitz ended with a foamy thud on an Old Town bar top. Glunz Tavern on Wells Street says it tapped Chicago's last keg of Schlitz on Wednesday, reports Block Club Chicago, capping a 145-year partnership that helped build both the beer and the family business. The Glunz family began distributing Schlitz in the 1880s, later bottling it and helping fuel the beer's dominance in the city, where the brewery once operated 57 "tied houses" that sold Schlitz exclusively.

The "cheap thirst-quencher and keystone for collective nostalgia" had a deep history in the Windy City, notes Smithsonian Magazine, having been "closely intertwined with some of Chicago's most important events—both famous and infamous." After Pabst announced in May it was discontinuing the 177-year-old brand, Glunz secured a final barrel "to celebrate the beer being such a part of our history," co-owner Christopher Donovan said. On tapping day, the keg kicked just before 5:30pm, leaving Donovan to call the moment for his great-grandfather "bittersweet." Said one barfly of the beer, "It's terrible. I hope someone revives it."