BREW NEWS: Schlitz is Back While Miller Lite Craft Brews Are Being "Rethought"

It was the beer that made Milwaukee famous. And probably the first beer that ever made me sick. Ah, good times, good times.

I'd heard rumors about the return of Schlitz for a few weeks but it's official. The distinctive middle American beer is back and Pabst (the company that now owns and brews it under its original recipe) is hoping that it will be able to ride a wave of nostalgia much like PBR currently enjoys. (Thanks to WP Tandy for the link.)

In other beer news, we had the "opportunity" to try the Miller Lite Craft Brew Collection a few months ago thanks to Baltimore being one of the four test markets for the product. Well-intentioned but off the mark, the craft-style attempts at making a light beer with flavor weren't very successful. Or flavorful. Or good.

Now it appears that MillerCoors LLC is ending the trial run of the trio of beers in order to "look at improving the positioning" which sounds vaguely like "retool the show" or "going on hiatus". Despite strong early sales consumer response to the wheat, amber and blonde ale styles apparently cooled, delaying (if not halting) plans for a nationwide introduction this fall.