Milwaukee Bobblehead Museum Honors Discontinued Wisconsin Beer

The discontinuation of "the beer that made Milwaukee famous" has led to a great deal of tributes and sentimental posts online. Now, that beer will be honored by the Bobblehead Hall of Fame.

Per a press release, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, WI unveiled two officially licensed, limited-edition Schlitz bobbleheads to commemorate the brewing of the final batch of the iconic beer, which was founded in Milwaukee in 1849. Last month, Pabst Brewing Co. announced that production of Schlitz beer will be ceased, ending a run that lasted 175 years. The final batch was brewed on May 23rd, 2026.

About the Limited-Edition Schlitz Bobbleheads:

Two limited-edition Schlitz "Golden Goddess" bobbleheads are now available for presale on the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum's website. They are expected to release in December 2026. One Golden Goddess is holding up a globe with the Schlitz logo emblazoned on it, while the other is sitting on a world globe beer tap:

Featured in mid-century Schlitz Brewing Company advertising, the Golden Goddess is best known as the subject of the highly collectible 1960s and 1970s illuminated bar statues and lamps, which depict a glowing, golden-toned woman holding a stained-glass-style world globe above her head. The first bobblehead is sitting on a world globe beer tap reading “On Draught In The World’s Best,” while the second bobblehead is holding up a belted globe with the Schlitz logo. Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to 2,026, and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store - per a press release of National Bobble Head of Fame and Museum

You can get one of the Golden Goddess bobbleheads for $40, or both for $75, plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. In the past, the Milwaukee-based Hall of Fame and Museum has released a bobble of the iconic Schlitz logo, along with a Joseph Schlitz bobblehead from the Milwaukee Beer Baron collection.

The History and Impact of Schlitz Beer:

Once the largest brewer in the United States, Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company began as a tavern/brewery in 1849. Joseph Schlitz was the company bookkeeper, who renamed the company following the death of its founder, August Krug. By the end of Prohibition, Schlitz was America's biggest beer company and amongst Milwaukee's largest employers.

In the 1970s, Schlitz effected bankrolled Milwaukee's Fourth of July lakefront fireworks as well as Old Milwaukee Days, which would become known contemporaneously as "Summerfest." Overtime, however, Schlitz struggled with market share alongside fellow Milwaukee competitors, Miller and Pabst.

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When the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company shut down in 1982, the brand was sold to Stroh Brewing Co., and Schlitz was made outside of Milwaukee, the city that made it famous. After being dramatically reduced in production, and thus relegated to a "cheap, bargain beer," to speak, Schlitz was acquired by Pabst and relaunched in 2008. I can still remember my dad bringing home a 12-pack from the liquor store he ran at the time with excitement that a staple from his childhood was back, prominently featured on store shelves.

National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar commented on the release of the limited-edition Schlitz bobbleheads:

We’re excited to unveil these bobbleheads in celebration of the 175-year run of Schlitz beer. With the help of its iconic logo, ‘the beer that made Milwaukee famous’ has embodied the spirit of Milwaukee for the better part of two centuries. Schlitz will be missed by many, but these bobbleheads will be a must-have for Schlitz fans everywhere and the perfect way to remember an iconic beer that made Milwaukee famous! - National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar, per the aforementioned press release

Take a look at the limited-edition Schlitz bobbleheads on the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum website.