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It's finally arrived in Milwaukee. Do you have your six-pack? Have you tried it yet? Were you old enough to try it last time it was available? Whether you have been lucky enough to snag a six pack, or if you are still waiting to taste, be sure to join us on Monday, August 18th at Libiamo Restaurant.
Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Brown Bottle Restaurant and sample the "The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous". Plenty of Schlitz will be on hand. Delicious appetizers from Libiamo Italian Restaurant will be served.
In addition, we are excited to have long-time museum friend and Schlitz Brewery Historian Leonard Jurgensen scheduled to speak. Leonard is known internationally for his breweriana collection, and has a published article about the Brown Bottle Pub (originally known as the Brown Bottle Guest Hall and Hospitality Center).
The schedule for the event is as follows:
4:30pm -Happy Hour (Gemuetlichkeit) with complimentary appetizers and breweriana display.
6:30 -Talk by President Jim Haertel followed by Leonard Jurgensen's presentation, - Q & A, door prizes
8pm - End of event
Cost for the event is $15 for members $25 for non members If you are a non-member who has been thinking of joining, now is the time. Join the Museum at the "Enthusiast Level" and attend the event for a combined total of just $35! Simply fill out the membership form and send it with your payment or bring it to the event.
Price of admission includes three Schlitz beers and appetizers. A maximum of 300 tickets will be sold.
Although the brown-glass beer bottle had been used since 1911, the Brown Bottle "guest hall" did not open until August 18, 1938. If you have ever been inside, you would have noticed the grand woodwork in the lobby and bar areas, as well as the dining room. Most of the wood is oak, and some of it actually came from Europe. The wrought iron hanging light fixtures were made by Cyril Colnik, an Austrian who immigrated to Milwaukee in 1893 to work for the German Government's ironwork exhibit at the Chicago World Fair. You may have seen Colnik's work at Villa Terrace, the Pabst Mansion, VonTrier, or Mader's Restaurant.
In 1982, Stroh's Brewing Company purchased the Schlitz Brewery and closed down the Brown Bottle. It sat vacant for a few years, and reopened to the public in 1986. For years it was one of the stops where you could obtain your Lakefront Brewery Post-Tour beer. However, with changing times, aged equipment, and ever-increasing restaurant competition in downtown Milwaukee, the Brown Bottle closed in 2004.
In 2005, Milwaukee restauranteur Dean Cannestra opened Libiamo Restaurant in the former Brown Bottle space. He kept the original woodwork, lighting, and plaster intact, and significantly updated the restaurant and bar equipment. Today, it is a first-class neighborhood restaurant in a great location. The Museum of Beer & Brewing has been having monthly board meetings at Libiamo for the past year, as well as a few special events.
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