Beer Lovers, Rejoice! The Brew that Made Milwaukee Famous will be Available for Limited Release at Old World Wisconsin

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Original 1948 Schlitz recipe will be sold as Old World Wisconsin Gold at historic site starting July 3 to mark 50th anniversary celebration

EAGLE, Wis. -- For those beer lovers mourning the end of the Schlitz beer era, there’s one last chance to sip the beer that made Milwaukee famous. To celebrate Old World Wisconsin’s 50th birthday weekend, the 600-acre living history attraction in Eagle teamed up with Verona’s Wisconsin Brewing Company to ensure a portion of the last batch of the 1948 recipe, brewed on May 23, is available for the site’s birthday bash. Named Old World Wisconsin Gold, the brew will be sold starting July 3 and available as long as supply lasts. 

The collaboration between Old World Wisconsin and Wisconsin Brewing Company began in January with the intent of developing a commemorative brew to mark Wisconsin’s bicentennial project. By chance, Wisconsin Brewing Company brewmaster Kirby Nelson learned that the renowned Schlitz beer was being discontinued, and he was able to secure the original 1948 recipe. Old World Wisconsin’s Beer and Brewing Historian Rob Novak, and Nelson, determined that the old Schlitz recipe would be the perfect brew to mark the historic site’s 50th year and created Old World Wisconsin Gold. The commemorative brew will be sold on tap at the historic Wittnebel’s Tavern, along with cans specially packaged with a commemorative label and sold individually or in a four pack at the retail store in the new Welcome Center. Wisconsin Brewing Company held a pre-sale for cans of this batch of Schlitz, and it sold out in an hour. The only place people will be able to get a pack to take home and enjoy after its release is at Old World Wisconsin.

“At Old World Wisconsin, we are dedicated to preserving the state’s history through our collection of buildings while also connecting our guests to that history through storytelling and experiences,” said Novak. “There’s no better way to share the story of our state’s beer industry than to invite guests to taste beers from different eras - from our farmhouse ales in the brewhouse to our flagship 1934 Kettle Brau. And now, for one weekend, we get to add the last batch of the Milwaukee icon Schlitz, brewed to 1948 standards, to that experience. It will be a great weekend to toast 50 years of Old World, 177 years of Schlitz, and 250 years of America.”

Wittnebel’s Tavern and an outdoor Biergarten opened in 2025 and joined a working Brewhouse to create an immersive history experience centered around Wisconsin’s enduring beer and brewing legacy. Wittnebel’s Tavern garnered media attention in 2021 when the building was transported 27 miles in three separate pieces to its new home at Old World Wisconsin. The tavern reopened to the public after years of restoration work that returned it to its post-prohibition appearance. 

Old World Wisconsin will mark its 50th anniversary and America’s 250th anniversary with a variety of special celebrations from July 3 to 5. The three-day star-spangled celebration kicks off on July 3 when Old World Wisconsin hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new 10,000-square-foot Welcome Center and commemorate 50 years of bringing history to life. Former Old World Wisconsin employees who opened the living history attraction in 1976 will be attending the event, along with several families whose buildings reside at the site. A new exhibition featuring the “Making of Old World Wisconsin,” will also open July 3 at the Lueskow House.

The Independence Day weekend extravaganza takes place on July 4 and 5 with two days of old-fashioned fun. Guests can dress in red, white and blue and join a lively daily parade with decorated wagons and historic flags, enjoy a brass band on the green and listen to a daily reading of the Declaration of Independence. Other favorite activities include a historic Base Ball game between competing teams, pie-eating contest, ice cream making, and so much more. 

Old World Wisconsin is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The summer season starts on June 10 through Aug. 30, with admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each week from Wednesday through Sunday. Spring and summer admission rates are $24 for adults and teens, $20 for seniors (65+), $16 (children five to 12) and free for children under five. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free general admission to all sites, including Old World Wisconsin, and 10% off ticketed events and store merchandise. Parking is included in admission.

To book tickets, visit OldWorldWisconsin.org or call 262-594-6301. The address is W372 S9727 Hwy 67, Eagle, Wisconsin. 

Construction note: Highway 67 around Old World Wisconsin will be undergoing roadwork in spring and summer 2026. We are open during our regular operating hours. To visit, you will need to drive through the construction zones – don’t take the detour! Please plan, follow the speed limits and give yourself extra time to arrive.

About Old World Wisconsin

Old World Wisconsin is one of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s 12 historic sites and museums. Rated as one of the top attractions to take kids in the Milwaukee area, Old World Wisconsin is a 600-acre regional history attraction that features interactive environments and immersive stories of 19th-and early 20th-century Midwestern immigrant farm and rural life. The museum offers guests family-friendly, hands-on activities as they visit crossroads village and eight working farmsteads, explore heirloom gardens, experience beer brewing traditions, meet heritage animal breeds and try historic crafts and skills. Old World Wisconsin is located on Highway 67 just south of Eagle, Wisconsin, within daytrip distance of Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison. For more information and a list of upcoming events visit oldworldwisconsin.org or call (262) 594-6301. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free general admission to this site during regular operating hours.

About the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. The Wisconsin Historical Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, receives grants and private contributions benefitting the Wisconsin Historical Society and administers the membership program. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.