Pabst Brewing Company

Jacob Best, a German immigrant, opened the Empire Brewery in Milwaukee in 1844, and Frederick Pabst, a steamship captain who married into the family, gave it his name. By 1874 it was the largest US brewer, and in 1893 it was the first to sell a million barrels in a year; during Prohibition it made cheese. Pabst closed its Milwaukee brewery in 1996 and has had others brew its beer since, now including Anheuser-Busch. It bought the Stroh, Schlitz and Old Style labels in 1999. Pabst Blue Ribbon and Old Style are BJCP examples of the American lager. Eugene Kashper’s Blue Ribbon Partners has owned the company alone since 2021. In May 2026 Pabst retired Schlitz.