Pabst Brewing plans a return to Milwaukee

Of the breweries that made Milwaukee famous - Schlitz, Pabst and Miller – only one, Miller, made it into the 21st century. Schlitz closed in 1982 and Pabst in 1996. Although Pabst did not disappear from the market, it only existed as a virtual brewer curtesy of having others brew its beers.

Now Pabst Brewing is scheduled to return to Milwaukee. The brewer, which has since been bought by the Oasis group, announced in July 2015 that it will open a brewpub next year near the site of its original brewery.

Pabst, whose headquarters are in Los Angeles these days, said it planned to sign a multiyear lease and open to the public next summer.

Pabst traces its roots to 1844 in Milwaukee. The new brewery will make many of Pabst’s pre-Prohibition brands, as well as new craft beers but Pabst Blue Ribbon is one brand that won’t be in the mix. The flagship beer will continue to be brewed in Milwaukee at the MillerCoors brewery.

The site will include a 2,000 barrel brewery, a tasting room, a beer garden and a restaurant, it was reported.

In its heyday in the 1970s, Pabst sold 18 million barrels (21 million hl) beer. Last year, beer volumes stood at 5.3 million barrels (6.2 million hl), a 2.7 percent decline over 2013, according to Beer Marketers Insights.

Oasis is based on Cyprus and operates breweries and soft drinks companies in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.