>> HIS FAMILY HISTORY INCLUDES
THE STORY OF THE "BEER THAT MADE
MILWAUKEE FAMOUS."
WE'LL RAISE A TOAST TO THE
JOSEPH SCHLITZ BREWING COMPANY
WITH PETER UIHLEIN.
HE'S MY SPECIAL GUEST NEXT ON "I
REMEMBER."
>> HI, I'M JIM PECK.
WELCOME TO "I REMEMBER."
JOINING ME TONIGHT IS PETER
UIHLEIN.
HE'S A FORMER SCHLITZ EMPLOYEE,
AND THE FOURTH GENERATION OF THE
UIHLEIN FAMILY THAT RAN THE
BREWERY FOR OVER A CENTURY.
THE STORY OF THE JOSEPH SCHLITZ
BREWING COMPANY BEGAN IN
MILWAUKEE IN THE 1800'S.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
>> THE STORY OF SCHLITZ BREWING
BEGINS WITH AUGUST KRUG, A
BAVARIAN IMMIGRANT WHO OPENED A
BREWERY IN MILWAUKEE IN 1849.
A FEW YEARS AFTER KRUG DIED, HIS
WIFE ANNA MARRIED THE
BOOKKEEPER, JOSEPH SCHLITZ.
HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE BREWERY
AND IT WAS RENAMED THE JOSEPH
SCHLITZ BREWING COMPANY IN 1856.
AUGUST UIHLEIN, THE NEPHEW OF
THE ORIGINAL OWNER AUGUST KRUG,
CAME FROM GERMANY AS A CHILD.
HE WOULD BECOME AN IMPORTANT
FIGURE IN THE BREWERY.
HIS BROTHERS LATER EMIGRATED,
AND THE UIHLEIN FAMILY RAN THE
BREWERY AFTER THE DEATH OF
JOSEPH SCHLITZ IN 1875.
IT WAS ALREADY "THE BEER THAT
MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS" DUE TO
THE HUNDREDS OF BARRELS SENT TO
CHICAGO AFTER THE GREAT FIRE OF
1871.
PETER UIHLEIN'S GREAT
GRANDFATHER, HENRY UIHLEIN, WAS
THE BROTHER WHO SERVED AS
PRESIDENT OF THE BREWERY FROM
1879 UNTIL 1922.
IN 1902, SCHLITZ WAS THE BIGGEST
BREWERY IN THE WORLD, SELLING
OVER ONE MILLION BARRELS OF
BEER.
THE FAMOUS SCHLITZ PALM GARDEN
AT THE SCHLITZ HOTEL WAS A
POPULAR SPOT IN MILWAUKEE AT THE
TURN OF THE CENTURY.
IN 1963, SCHLITZ BROUGHT THE
GREAT CIRCUS PARADE TO DOWNTOWN
MILWAUKEE AND WAS THE PARADE
SPONSOR FOR MANY YEARS.
THE SPECTACULAR 40-HORSE HITCH
FIRST APPEARED IN THE 1972
PARADE, AND THE NEXT YEAR THE
NEW SCHLITZ BAND WAGON WAS
ADDED, THE FIRST CIRCUS WAGON OF
ITS KIND BUILT IN DECADES.
ROBERT UIHLEIN JR. BECAME
PRESIDENT OF SCHLITZ IN 1961.
HE WAS THE C.E.O. AND CHAIRMAN
WHEN HE DIED IN 1976, THE LAST
UIHLEIN TO HEAD THE COMPANY.
THE 1970 AD CAMPAIGN WAS TO
"GRAB FOR ALL THE GUSTO YOU
CAN."
BUT BY THE END OF THE DECADE,
SALES WERE SLIPPING FOR THE
COMPANY.
THE JOSEPH SCHLITZ BREWING
COMPANY CLOSED ITS DOORS IN THE
CITY IT MADE FAMOUS, AND THE
COMPANY WAS SOLD IN 1982.
IN HIS BOOK, "SCHLITZ BREWING
ART," PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL BIALIS
CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF THE
BREWHOUSE BEFORE IT WAS TORN
DOWN IN 2013.
>> HOW DID INDEED, SCHLITZ MAKE
MILWAUKEE FAMOUS?
>> I WOULD SAY THROUGH THE BEER.
THIS BEING THE BEER CAPITAL OF
THE WORLD, SCHLITZ IS ONE OF THE
EARLY -- ONE OF THE FEW
BREWERIES TO LAST IN MILWAUKEE.
PABST, SCHLITZ AND MILLER WERE
THE ONLY THREE REMAINING
BREWERIES IN MILWAUKEE AT THE
TIME IN THE EARLY 1980'S WHEN
SCHLITZ CLOSED BUT IT WAS THE
GERMAN HERITAGE.
THE GERMAN PEOPLE THAT CAME OVER
TO DUPLICATE THEIR PROFESSION
FROM GERMANY, AND THEY FOUND THE
PROPER CLIMATE, PROPER
INGREDIENTS.
>> WATER WAS CRITICAL, WASN'T
IT?
>> VERY CRITICAL.
>> BY THE WAY, WHEN DID THAT
SLOGAN COME ABOUT, DO YOU KNOW?
>> THE BEER THAT MADE MILWAUKEE
FAMOUS?
>> YES.
>> IT WAS CREATED AFTER THE --
THE BIG CHICAGO FIRE IN 1871.
THEY LOST ALL OF THEIR BREWERIES
IN THE FIRE AND THEY LOST ALL
THEIR DRINKING WATER IN THE
FIRE, AND SO SCHLITZ FOUND AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE BEER OUT
OF THE CITY, AND START SELLING
IT REGIONALLY, AND SO THEY
STARTED SHIPPING RAIL CAR LOADS
OF IT DOWN TO CHICAGO AND PEOPLE
WERE SAYING, WHAT KIND OF BEER
IS THAT AND SOMEBODY SAID, WELL,
THAT'S SCHLITZ BEER FROM
MILWAUKEE AND THEY -- SOMEBODY
COINED THAT PHRASE, THE BEER
THAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS.
>> GENIUS.
>> REALLY.
>> BUT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT
THEY RAN OUT OF WATER AND BEER
AND WE SENT BEER.
>> TODAY THE MODERN BREWERIES
SEND WATER FOR DISASTER RELIEF.
>> WHEN I WAS PREPARING FOR THE
SHOW, THERE'S AN UIHLEIN THAT
WORKED FOR SCHLITZ BREWERY, KIND
OF A NO-BRAINER, THAT WAS REALLY
YOUR BIRTH RIGHT AS A UIHLEIN TO
WORK FOR THE BREWERY?
>> IT REALLY WASN'T.
I HAD TO WORK VERY HARD TO GET A
JOB.
THERE WERE MANY UIHLEINS THAT
WORKED AT THE BREWERY UP UNTIL
THE 1950'S.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AROUND
1960 WAS MADE UP OF A ABOUT A
DOZEN UIHLEINS, AND TWO OR THREE
OTHER PEOPLE RELATED TO THE
UIHLEIN FAMILY.
THIS IS WHEN THE COMPANY WAS
STILL 100% PRIVATELY OWNED BY
THE FAMILY.
WHEN I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, I
WANTED TO WORK FOR SCHLITZ AND I
HAD MADE IT KNOWN TO A LOT OF
PEOPLE, BUT IT WASN'T TO HAPPEN.
>> WHY?
>> I FOUND OUT AFTER TWO
INTERVIEWS, THAT SOMEBODY -- THE
PERSON WHO INTERVIEWED WITH ME
LEVELED WITH ME AND SAID, NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY
DON'T WANT TO HIRE ANY MORE
UIHLEINS AND YET THERE WERE TO
UIHLEINS WORKING THERE ASIDE
FROM BOB UIHLEIN, FRED WAS THERE
AND BOB TRAINER.
>> BUT YOUR DAD WAS ON THE
BOARD.
>> MY FATHER WAS ON THE BOARD,
BUT MY FATHER COULD NOT GO TO
BAT FOR SONNY BOY, SO I WORKED
WITH A NUMBER OF DIRECTORS,
CONVINCING THESE DIRECTORS,
YOU'VE GOT TO CHANGE THIS
POLICY, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO
LOOK AROUND IN A FEW YEARS AND
REALIZE THAT NO MORE UIHLEINS
WORKING HERE.
THEY CHANGED THE POLICY AND IN
1976, THEY HIRED ME, SO THIS WAS
PRETTY MUCH SIMILAR TO A STUDENT
GOING, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS
A WALK-ON IN FOOTBALL.
I HAD TO WORK OUT AND GET THIS
JOB.
I WAS NOT A WALK-ON ON THIS JOB.
>> WOW.
WHY DIDN'T THEY WANT MORE
UIHLEINS?
>> THEY WERE AFRAID THAT WE
WOULD JUST COME IN AT 8:00 A.M.,
HAVE A BEER, PUT OUR FEET UP ON
THE TABLE, GO OUT FOR LUNCH AND
GO OUT AND PLAY GOLF.
I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD WORK,
AND I KNEW I WOULD HAVE A LOT OF
EYES AND EARS -- EYES WATCHING
ME AND EARS LISTENING TO ME AS
TO WHAT I'M DOING, SO I HAD TO
WORK TWICE AS HARD AND CONVINCE
PEOPLE I WAS NOT A SPY.
>> SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT I MIGHT
HAVE BEEN A SPY.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS
GOING TO ASK YOU.
THERE WERE PEOPLE YOU WORKED
WITH SAYING, WELL, WAIT A
MINUTE, HE'S THE COMPANY, WE
CAN'T TALK --
>> I HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH MY
FATHER THAT WE WOULDN'T TALK
BUSINESS BECAUSE HE COULDN'T
TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE
BOARDROOM, I COULDN'T TELL HIM
WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE BAR.
AND THE JACK McKEITHEN,
HEADING UP THE COMPANY AT THE
TIME, I WAS WORKING IN THE
CORPORATE OFFICE, WE HAD AN
AGREEMENT NOT TO DISCUSS
BUSINESS, ONLY GENERAL BUSINESS,
ANYONE COULD TALK ABOUT, BUT NOT
ANYTHING BEHIND THE SCENES.
>> DIDN'T THAT DRIVE YOU CRAZY
SOMETIMES?
>> IN A WRAY IT DID, FRUSTRATING
AT TIMES THAT I WOULD SEE
SOMETHING AND DO WHAT I COULD TO
CORRECT SOMETHING, BUT I DIDN'T
HAVE THAT MAGICAL POWER.
>> HEY, I'M AN UIHLEIN, I SHOULD
BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
>> I DIDN'T WANT TO GO WITH THAT
TERM, USING THAT EXCUSE, BECAUSE
IT DIDN'T OPEN EVERY DOOR FOR
ME.
I HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
>> LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE BREWERY.
HOW ABOUT THE JOSEPH SCHLITZ
BREWING COMPANY START?
>> IN 1849, AUGUST KRUG AND HIS
WIFE ANNA MOVED HERE FROM
GERMANY, SETTLED HERE IN
MILWAUKEE AND STARTED A
RESTAURANT, A RESTAURANT AND A
SMALL BREWERY WITH IT, SIMILAR
TO TODAY'S BREW PUB, AND A YEAR
OR SO AFTER THEY STARTED, THEY
ASKED THEIR NEPHEW, AUGUST
UIHLEIN, FROM GERMANY WHERE THE
FAMILY HAILS FROM ASKED THAT
AUGUST COME OVER AND HAVE AUGUST
WORK WITH THEM IN THE RESTAURANT
AND BREWERY.
>> HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT HOW
OLD?
>> HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 10
YEARS OLD.
>> AND HE'S PUT TO WORK.
>> TEN YEARS OLD.
BORN IN 1842, SO --
>> 1842?
>> 1842.
HE WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD WHEN
HE CAME OVER HERE IN 1852.
AND HE -- HE HELPED HIS UNCLE
AUGUST IN THE BREWERY AND THE
BEER AND THE RESTAURANT
BUSINESS.
EVENTUALLY, THEY REALIZED THAT
THERE WAS MORE MONEY IN BEER
THAN THERE WAS IN BRATWURST, SO
TO SPEAK, AND SO THEY -- THEY
DECIDED TO CONCENTRATE ON THE
BREWING ASPECT OF IT.
DURING THAT -- DURING THE EARLY
YEARS IN THE EARLY FANNIE MAE
AND -- EARLY
1850'S, KRUG HIRED A BOOKKEEPER
BY THE JUST A MINUTE OF JOSEPH
SCHLITZ AND AUGUST PASSED AWAY A
FEW YEARS LATE IN THE 1950'S AND
HIS WIFE ANNA, THE WIDOW,
MARRIED JOSEPH SCHLITZ.
>> JOE WAS PRETTY SHREWD.
>> JOE WAS PRETTY LUCKY.
THEY WERE MARRIED AND THEY HAD
NO CHILDREN, BUT IT WAS WRITTEN
IN AUGUST KRUG'S WILL, THE
COMPANY WOULD BE PASSED ON TO
AUGUST UIHLEIN AND HIS BROTHERS,
ANY BROTHERS THAT WOULD COME
OVER AND HELP WORK WITH HIM.
EVENTUALLY IN THE 1860'S -- OR
IN THE LATE 1850'S, AUGUST
UIHLEIN WENT DOWN TO ST. LOUIS
TO WORK FOR A BREWERY.
I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE.
BUT THEY SENT HIM DOWN TO
ST. LOUIS TO HOAN HIS BREWING
SKILLS, HIS BROTHER HENRY, WHO
WOULD WOULD BE MY GREAT
GRANDFATHER, JOINED HIM IN
ST. LOUIS, AND A BROTHER EDWARD
UIHLEIN JOINED HIM IN ST. LOUIS
IN THE LATE 1860'S, EARLY
1870'S, THEY MOVED BACK TO
MILWAUKEE AND HELPED JOSEPH
SCHLITZ RUN THE OPERATION.
>> WHAT HAPPENED TO JOSEPH
SCHLITZ?
>> JOSEPH SCHLITZ WENT TO EUROPE
ON THE SAILING IN THOSE DAYS WAS
NOT A VERY SAFE -- WAS A VERY
RISKY THING TO DO AND SHIP WENT
DOWN, JUST OFF OF ENGLAND, AND
THE HE WAS LOST AT SEA.
AND IT WAS --
>> HIS SHIP WENT DOWN AND YOURS
CAME IN?
>> YOU COULD SAY THAT.
>> AND HE PASSED AWAY AND IT WAS
WRITTEN IN HIS WILL ALSO, THE
UNDERSTANDING WOULD BE PASSED ON
TO THE UIHLEIN BROTHERS, SO MY
GREAT GRANDFATHER HENRY BECAME
PRESIDENT AND WAS PRESIDENT
UNTIL 1922, FOR 43 YEARS THAT HE
SAT AT THE HELM OF THE COMPANY.
>> WHY DIDN'T IT BECOME THE
UIHLEIN BREWING COMPANY?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT THE
NAME AND THE WAY IT'S SPELLED
AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO
PRONOUNCE THAT NAME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME
THAT QUESTION BEFORE, AND IT
WOULD BE -- I'M GLAD IT WASN'T.
IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT.
I FIGURE IF IT WAS CALL UIHLEIN
BREWING, I WOULD BE PETER
SCHLITZ.
>> WELL, IT'S FUNNY, YOU
MENTIONED THE FACT THAT IT'S
DIFFICULT, AND I'VE GOT A BOTTLE
OF BEER HERE, THAT'S LABELED
UIHLEIN.
BUT THIS WAS -- THIS NEVER GOT
TO MARKET, DID IT?
>> IN 1976, WE HAD A NATIONAL
MARKETING CONFERENCE.
AT THE TIME WE INTRODUCED
UIHLEIN BEER, THEY SHOWED THIS
LABEL AND THE ADVERTISING AND
THE POINT OF SALE TO ALL THE
WHOLESALERS NATIONWIDE AT THIS
MAJOR MARKETING CONFERENCE, AND
CALLED IT UIHLEIN BEER.
THE -- ABOUT A YEAR LATER, THEY
DID A NUMBER OF FOCUS GROUPS AND
DETERMINED THAT NOBODY COULD
REMEMBER HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE
NAME UIHLEIN, SO THEY CHANGED
THE NAME TO ERLANGER BEFORE IT
WENT TO MARKET, A VERY GOOD
GERMAN NAME.
>> IT WAS INDEED.
AS THE SCHLITZ BREWING COMPANY
WENT ALONG, IT GOT BIGGER AND
BIGGER AND BIGGER.
HOW BIG DID IT EVENTUALLY GET
IN.
>> IN 1976, OUR LAST POSITIVE
YEAR OF SALES, WE WERE ABOUT TWO
MILLION BARRELS DIFFERENCE,
OURSELF AND ANHEUSER-BUSCH,
BUDWEISER, THEY ARE KNOWN, THEY
WERE DOING 24 MILLION BARRELS
THAT YEAR AND ANHEUSER-BUSCH WAS
26 MILLION, AND GETTING CLOSER
AND CLOSER.
AND THEN SOME PROBLEMS
DEVELOPED.
>> AND I WANT TO COME INTO THOSE
A BIT LATER BEING BUT LET'S GO
BACK IN TIME A LITTLE BIT.
HOW DID PROHIBITION AFFECT THE
SCHLITZ BREWING COMPANY?
>> PROHIBITION AFFECTED ALL
BREWING COMPANIES, BUT WITH
SCHLITZ, THEY WANTED -- THEY
KNEW PROHIBITION WOULDN'T LAST
FOREVER.
IT DID LAST A LONG TIME FROM THE
EARLY 1920'S UNTIL 1933.
>> WAY LONGER.
>> WAY LONGER THAN ANYONE WANTED
IT TO.
SO IN ORDER TO KEEP THE
OPERATION GOING AND AS MANY
EMPLOYEES AS POSSIBLE WORKING,
THEY CREATED -- THEY DEVELOPED
SOFT DRINKS AND ANOTHER VERY
UNIQUE PRODUCT, CHOCOLATE.
>> OH, YEAH.
I REMEMBER, BUT THEY DIDN'T CALL
IT SCHLITZ.
>> THEY CALLED IT ELINE.
THAT YOU COULD PRONOUNCE
PHONETICALLY AND THEY CREATED
BUILT FACTORIES, GOT THE BEST
PACKAGING AROUND AND FOUND THE
BEST PRODUCT TO OVERCOME
HERSHEYS, BUT IN THE 1920'S,
HERSHEY'S WAS A NUMBER ONE BRAND
IN THIS COUNTRY AND DID ALL THEY
COULD TO TRY TO GET THE SHELF
SPACE AT THE STORES, IT DIDN'T
WORK AND THEY REALIZED THAT
BOTTLING FEAR WAS THE WAY TO
GO -- BEER WAS THE WAY TO GO AND
LUCKILY ENOUGH, PROHIBITION WAS
REPEALED AND THEY CLOSED UP THE
CHOCOLATE FACTORY AND WENT BACK
TO BEER.
>> AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE
THAT CONVERSION BACK.
HAD THEY KEPT THE EQUIPMENT?
>> THEY KEPT THE EQUIPMENT,
BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTTLING SOFT
DRINKS AND SOMETHING CALLED MALT
EXTRACT.
A MALT EXTRACT.
>> WHAT IS MALT EXTRACT?
>> MALT EXTRACT WAS SOLD AS A
HEALTH PRODUCT, A VITAMIN
ENRICHED HEALTH PRODUCT.
>> I'LL BET IT WAS.
>> BUT OTHER PEOPLE MAY HAVE USE
IT HAD TO MAKE THEIR OWN
HOMEMADE BREW.
>> DO YOU THINK?
>> NO IDEA.
I WASN'T AROUND, SO I'M SAFE.
>> ONCE IT LEAVES THE COMPANY --
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO WITH
IT, YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT.
>> SO THEY DID KEEP AS MANY
PEOPLE WORKING AS POSSIBLE
MAKING VARIOUS PRODUCTS AND SO
WHEN PROHIBITION WAS REPEALED,
THEY WERE READY TO START UP AND
GO RIGHT TO IT.
>> INTERNATIONAL, I KNOW WE HAVE
THIS -- THE FIRST TIME THE SET
HAS BEEN DECORATED BY BOOZE, BUT
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT
THINGS UP THERE AND ONE ON THE
CAMERA RIGHT, FAR RIGHT, IT
LOOKS LIKE IT'S IN ARABIC?
>> THAT IS AN ARABIC CAN OF
CEREAL BEVERAGE.
WE COULDN'T CALL IT BEER,
BECAUSE IN THAT AREA OF THE
WORLD, THEY DO NOT BELIEVE IN
ALCOHOL, AND OUR SLOGAN WAS THE
BEER THAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS.
IF YOU TURN THE CAN AROUND, IT
WILL SAY THE FAMOUS AMERICAN
BEVERAGE AND IT'S A NONALCOHOLIC
BEER, A BEER BROOD THE SAME WAY
AS BEER IS, BUT THERE'S NO
FERMENTATION, IT'S BOTTLED RIGHT
RAY WAY, SO THEY BREW IT, BOTTLE
IT AND SHIP IT.
>> NOW YOU'VE GOT A BOTTLE OVER
HERE, NOW WE'RE MOVING CAMERA
LEFT, IT'S A SHORT BOTTLE, BUT
IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKES THE BROWN
BOTTLE, BUT IT ISN'T, IT'S RED.
>> IT'S A RUBY RED BOTTLE.
IT WAS A MARKETING PLOY THAT
THEY USED IN THE MID 1950'S,
USING A SPECIAL RED GLASS.
IF YOU PUT A LIGHT BEHIND IT, IT
REALLY LOOKS ELEGANT.
AS THEY SAY.
THAT'S A RUBY RED BOTTLE,
SCHLITZ IS THE ONLY COMPANY THAT
USED THAT BOTTLE, AND IT BECAME
VERY EXPENSIVE, BECAUSE THE
GLASS COMPANIES SAID WE CAN'T
MAKE THIS JUST FOR ONE BREWERY.
AND SO THEY UPPED THE PRICE, AND
THEY DESTROYED THAT BOTTLE AND
WENT WITH THE TRADITIONAL BROWN
BOTTLE.
>> WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF
THE BROWN BOTTLE?
THAT WAS REVOLUTIONARY.
>> THAT WAS, BECAUSE BEER CAME
IN LIGHT COLORED BOTTLES AND IT
WAS A KNOWN FACTOR THAT LIGHT
WOULD BREAK THE BEER DOWN SO
SOMEBODY AT SCHLITZ SAID WHY
DON'T WE TRY IT IN A BROWN
BOTTLE AND NOW THE INDUSTRY HAS
GONE TO BROWN BOTTLES WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF A COUPLE LABELS.
>> AND THERE ARE OTHER THINGS,
SEE THE CANS UP THERE, THAT WAS
REVOLUTIONARY TOO.
>> THE CANS WERE REVOLUTIONARY,
THE ONE ON THE SECOND TO THE
RIGHT IS A CONE TOP CAN.
IT CAME OUT IN THE 1950'S.
IT WAS -- 1940'S.
IT WAS THE FIRST TYPE OF CAN
THAT CAME OUT AND I DON'T
BELIEVE SCHLITZ DEVELOPED THAT
CAN, BUT ALL THE BREWERIES
PICKED UP ON THE CAN BECAUSE IT
WAS LIGHTER TO SHIP.
LESS EXPENSIVE AND MORE DURABLE.
GLASS IS VERY HEAVY.
MOST BEERS CAME IN THE LONG NECK
RETURNABLE BOTTLES THAT WERE
USED, WASHED, USED, WASHED.
THEY WERE GOOD FOR EIGHT TO TEN
TRIPS.
>> WAS THE POP TOP A SCHLITZ
INVENTION?
>> THEY CREATED THAT IN THE
1960'S.
IT WAS A RING THAT STAYED ON THE
CAN.
AND THEN -- EXCUSE ME, IT WAS
PULLED OFF THE CAN AND IT TURNED
OUT TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A
LIABILITY, BECAUSE KIDS WOULD
CUT THEMSELVES ON IT, OR PEOPLE
WOULD CUT THEIR FINGERS ON IT,
SO THEY FINALLY CREATED THE
DETACHABLE POP TOP AND THAT
REVOLUTIONIZED THE INDUSTRY,
BECAUSE IT DID AWAY WITH A
CHURCH KEY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU DESTROYED AN ENTIRE OTHER
INDUSTRY.
>> RIGHT.
>> LET'S COME BACK TO SCHLITZ
DOING FABULOUSLY ALMOST NUMBER
ONE IN THE WORLD.
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH SCHLITZ?
>> IN THE MID 1970'S, THEY --
SOMEBODY MADE THE DECISION TO
SHORTEN THE FERMENTATION PROCESS
AND MAKE IT MORE OF AN
ARTIFICIAL FERMENTATION PROCESS
WHICH IS TOO BAD AND NOBODY KNEW
ABOUT IT.
THIS WAS DONE UNBEKNOWNST TO A
LOT OF PEOPLE --
>> YOU MEAN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
THE BURERY.
 -- BREWERY.
>> A LOT OF THE MANAGEMENT WAS
NOT AWARE OF THIS AND THEY
ESSENTIALLY AT EFFICIENTLILY
FERMENTED THE BEER AND SPED UP
THE PROCESS.
NORMALLY TAKES ABOUT A 90 TO 120
DAYS FOR BEER TO FERMENT AND AGE
AND THEY WANTED TO TURN AROUND
AND TRY TO DO DID IN LESS TIME
TO PUT MORE BEER OUT BECAUSE
THERE WAS SO MUCH DEMAND FOR
SCHLITZ PRODUCTS AND BAD BEER
WENT OUT ON THE MARKET AND IT
TOOK SCHLITZ QUITE A WHILE TO
RECOGNIZE THE FACT, BUT IT WAS
CORRECTED, BUT --
>> THERE'S STORIES OF ALMOST
LIKE SOLID MATTER IN THE BEER.
>> FLAKES AND PARTICLES.
>> YEAH.
>> SOUNDS BETTER THAN SOLID
MATTER.
SORRY.
>> I WAS WORKING OUT IN THE
TRADE AT THAT TIME, I WAS
WORKING IN COLORADO AND IOWA,
LIVING IN IOWA, WORKING WITH A
HALF A DOZEN WHOLESALERS, AND IT
WAS TOUGH WHEN A WHOLESALER
WOULD COME IN AND SAY, OUR BEER
IS NOT HOLDING UP, WE'RE PICKING
IT UP AT RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS
AND HAVING TO REPLACE IT, AND I
WOULD HAVE TO NOTIFY THE PEOPLE
ABOVE ME, AND IT WAS VERY
FRUSTRATING, BUT AS TIME WENT ON
AND NEAR THE TIME THAT SCHLITZ
WAS SOLD, THE BEER CAME BACK
WITH THE EFFORT OF THE NEW
MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT JACK
McKEITHEN PUT TOGETHER AND IT
WAS VERY ENCOURAGED AND THE
PRODUCT CAME BACK, WE HAD
TERRIFIC COMMERCIALS, BUT JUST
NOT ENOUGH TIME WHEN WE HAD THE
UNFRIENDLY TAKEOVER.
>> YOU LOSE PEOPLE'S TRUST, IT
TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET IT
BACK.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> NOTHING IS MORE TRUSTWORTHY
THAN A GOOD BEER.
>> YOU CAN'T MESS WITH ANYBODY'S
BEER.
>> GRAB THE GUSTO.
>> THE GREAT CIRCUS PARADE, HOW
DID THAT COME ABOUT?
>> THAT CAME ABOUT IN 1963.
BEN BARKIN, WHO HAS BEEN ON THE
SHOW BEFORE AND WAS IN THE P.R.
BUSINESS AND VERY GOOD FRIENDS
WITH BOB UIHLEIN, PRESIDENT AND
CHAIRMAN OF SCHLITZ AT THE TIME
APPROACHED BOB, WHO WAS ALSO A
HORSEMAN HIMSELF, A POLO PLAYER
AND LOVED HORSES, LOVED PARADES,
SAID TO BOB, WHY DON'T YOU
CONSIDER THIS AS A GIVE-BACK TO
THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE BY
PROVIDING THIS CIRCUS PARADE,
BARABOO, WISCONSIN, IS THE HOME
OF THE CIRCUS WORLD MUSEUM, SO
WHILE THE WAGONS WERE JUST LESS
THAN 100 MILES AWAY AND WITH THE
COOPERATION OF CHAPPY FOX, WHO
HAS ALSO BEEN ON THE SHOW.
>> GREAT CHAPPY.
>> HE AND BEN WORKED WITH BOB
UIHLEIN AND PUT THE PARADE
TOGETHER AND IT BOTH -- GOT
BIGGER AND BIGGER EVERY YEAR.
>> IT WAS THE BIG SCHLITZ WAGON.
>> RIGHT AND ANIMALS AND PEOPLE
AND MARCHING BANDS AND
EVENTUALLY, IT TURNED INTO A
VERY BUSY WEEKEND WITH
FIREWORKS, CIRCUS WAS IN TOWN AT
THE TIME, SO THEY HAD A PRIVATE
PERFORMANCE FOR THE SCHLITZ
EMPLOYEES, AND THEN --
>> THAT MUST HAVE BEEN COOL.
>> IT WAS.
IT WAS.
TO FILL UP THE MILWAUKEE ARENA
WITH ALL SCHLITZ PEOPLE.
>> WOW.
>> AND THEY HAD THE PARADE, THEY
HAD FIREWORKS THAT NIGHT, AND IT
WAS A VERY EXHAUSTING WEEKEND, I
SHOULD SAY THAT, IN THOSE EARLY
YEARS.
THAT PARADE WENT ON FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS AND THEN THEY STARTED
DOING IT EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS,
AND STOPPED FOR A WHILE, AND
BILL FOX TRIED TO BRING IT BACK
A FEW TIMES, IT'S JUST BEEN VERY
DIFFICULT.
>> WELL, I'VE HAD THE GREAT
PLEASURE OF SORT OF EMCEEING THE
CIRCUS PARADE WHEN WE TELEVISED
IT HERE.
WE DID THE FIRST, I THINK I'M
RIGHT, FIRST LIVE
HIGH-DEFINITION PROGRAM ON
NETWORK, PBS, AND IT WAS THE
CIRCUS PARADE AND OH, THAT WAS A
THRILL.
I'M THINKING OF YOU THOUGH, AND
ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER
FROM THE CIRCUS PARADE, AND
ANYBODY SAW IT CAN NEVER FORGET,
THE 40-HORSE HITCH.
>> THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE WAGON
AND 40 HORSES RUN BY DICK
SPARROW, A FARMER OUT OF IOWA.
HIS HOBBY WAS HORSES AND
SOMEHOW, BOB UIHLEIN FOUND HIM
AND SAID, WHY DON'T YOU BE IN
OUR PARADE AND WHAT IT TAKES TO
MOVE 40 HORSES AND VANS, PLUS
THE WAGON AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT,
THE HARNESSES, IT WAS JUST
INCREDIBLE.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO RIDE ON
THAT WAGON.
>> DID YOU?
>> IN 1972, IN CHEYENNE FRONTIER
DAYS, I MADE IT KNOWN TO SCHLITZ
THAT I WOULD LOVE TO GO FOR A
RIDE ON IT SOME TIME AND I WAS
LIVING IN DENVER GOING TO
COLLEGE, WENT UP TO CHEYENNE,
PUT A UNIFORM ON SO I LOOKED
LIKE THE REST OF THE WORKERS,
AND RODE THE WAGON BEHIND DICK
SPARROW.
>> SPELL PEOPLE WHAT IT IS LIKE
TO LOOK OUT OVER 40 HORSES.
>> TEN DEEP, FOUR ABREAST.
SOLID HORSES.
>> HE HAD TO THINK IN ADVANCE,
BECAUSE IF I WANT TO TURN THE
CORNER, I HAVE TO TURN IT WHEN
THE HORSES ARE WAY UP THERE AT
THE CORNER.
>> IT'S NOT LIKE TURNING A CAR.
THEY HAD OUTRIDERS THAT WOULD
HELP DIRECT IT.
LUCKILY, THEY NEVER HAD ANY
ACCIDENTS OR RUN AWAY HORSES,
BECAUSE CAN YOU IMAGINE 40
HORSES RUNNING, NOT GOOD.
>> TELL ME ABOUT IT, I GOT RUN
OVER AT THAT CIRCUS PARADE, I
THINK IT WAS CINDERELLA'S WAGON,
WHICH FORTUNATELY WORK WITH, I
THINK, WELSH PONIES AND IT WENT
OUT OF CONTROL AND CAME CRASHING
INTO OUR SET.
>> I DO REMEMBER THAT.
>> SO DO I.
UP UNTIL THAT MOMENT, I
REALLY -- IF I WAS ON
TELEVISION, NOTHING BAD COULD
HAPPEN.
I MEAN, I HAD TIGERS, I REMEMBER
SITTING NEXT TO A GUY WHO HAD
TWO FULL GROWN MALE TIMBER
WOLVES WHO DECIDED THEY DIDN'T
LIKE EACH OTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE SHOW AND STARTED SNARLING.
>> BETTER THAN BEING RUN OVER BY
CINDERELLA.
>> WHAT WAS THE NINE MILE FARM?
>> NINE MILE FARM WAS A 125-ACRE
PIECE OF LAND IN BAYSIDE ON LAKE
MICHIGAN, AND THAT'S WHERE
SCHLITZ USED TO KEEP THEIR
HORSES.
>> OH.
>> BACK PRIOR TO AUTOMOBILES AND
TRUCKS, FOR DELIVERY USE, THEY
DELIVERED BEER AND WAGONS.
>> I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT, BUT
THEY WOULD HAVE TO.
>> SCHLITZ HAD STABLES DOWN AT
THE BREWERY, BUT THEY NEEDED
MANY MANY HORSES TO DELIVER THE
BEER, SO THEY KEPT THEIR SPARE
HORSES OUT AT A FARM AND THEY
APPROPRIATELY CALLED IT THE NINE
MILE FARM, BECAUSE IT'S NINE
MILES FROM THE BREWERY.
>> I SEE.
>> RAND IT WOULD TAKE A DAY TO
GET THE HORSES OUT THERE.
THEY WOULD REST FOR A WEEK TO
TEN DAYS AND BE BROUGHT BACK, SO
THEY HAD HUNDREDS OF HORSES THAT
THEY'D ROTATE BACK-AND-FORTH.
AS TIME WENT ON IN THE 1970'S,
THE SCHLITZ FOUNDATION WAS
OVERSEEING -- THE HORSES WENT
OUT -- BACKTRACK, THE HORSES
WENT OUT OF USE IN THE 1940'S,
EARLY 1940'S, BUT THEY -- THE
PROPERTY JUST LAID DORMANT AND
THEY HAD A SKEET SHOOTING RANGE
FOR A GUN CLUB TO LEASE THE
RANGE.
OTHERWISE, IT WAS A PICNIC AREA
FOR THE UIHLEINS AND ALL THE
RELATIVES.
>> THAT WAS NICE.
>> VERY NICE.
BOY SCOUTS AND CUB SCOUTS WOULD
USE IT, CHARITY GROUPS WOULD USE
IT FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
IN THE EARLY 1970'S, A NUMBER OF
RELATIVES CAMPAIGNED TO DEVELOP
THAT LAND, EITHER AS A GOLF
COURSE OR A CONDOMINIUM PROJECT.
>> WELL, IT MAKES SENSE, IT'S
BEAUTIFUL.
RIGHT ON LAKE MICHIGAN.
>> BUT THERE WERE LOUDER VOICES
THAT SAID WE SHOULD KEEP IT A
NATURE CENTER, BECAUSE IT WAS
ALL NATURAL NATURE, FORMER
FARMLAND AND PASTURE, AND THEY
WORKED OUT A DEAL WITH THE
NATIONAL AUDUBON SEW SIDE TO
TAKE OVER -- SOCIETY TO TAKE
OVER THE LAND AND IT WAS NAMED
THE SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE
CENTER.
>> THAT'S HOW IT CAME ABOUT.
>> THAT'S HOW IT WAS TODAY.
>> THERE WAS SOME CONFLICT.
>> THERE WAS SOME CONFLICT.
>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF
PROFIT AS OPPOSED TO GIVING DID
TO A CHARITY.
>> NOW IT'S ESSENTIALLY GIVEN
BACK TO THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE AS
A NATURE CENTER, AND INCREDIBLE
PLACE TO GO BACK, SEE IT AGAIN.
>> DO YOU MISS IT AS A PLACE FOR
THE FAMILY PICNICS?
>> WELL, I DO, BUT I DON'T.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE IT SHARED WITH
EVERYBODY ELSE.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ON THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THE YOU'D
DONE CENTER FOR 23 YEARS, SO I
WAS ABLE TO KEEP TABS ON IT AND
STILL A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF
PROPERTY.
>> WE WERE KIDDING BEFORE WE
WENT ON THE AIR ABOUT YOUR NAME,
UIHLEIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE
ERLANGER, BECAUSE NOBODY COULD
FIGURE OUT HOW TO PRONOUNCE
UIHLEIN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF
PRONUNCIATIONS AND THERE IS A
UIHLEIN PACKING COMPANY.
IS THAT EARTH PA OF -- IS THAT
PART OF YOUR FAMILY.
>> THAT'S PART OF OUR FAMILY.
AUGUST UIHLEIN WAS ONE OF NINE
CHILDREN AND SO ONE --
>> NO WONDER THEY DIDN'T WANT
UIHLEINS TO WORK FOR THE PLACE.
>> MULTIPLIED VERY RAPIDLY.
>> EDWARD UIHLEIN WENT TO
CHICAGO, SHORTLY AFTER THE
CHICAGO FIRE, TO RUN THE SCHLITZ
DISTRIBUTION CENTER BUSINESS AND
HIS FAMILY STAYED THERE.
SOMEHOW, THEY CHANGED THEIR NAME
TO UIHLEIN.
MY DIRECT COUSINS OF MY
GENERATION CREATED A PACKAGING
BUSINESS OUT OF THEIR GARAGE
CALLED UIHLEIN PACKAGING AND NOW
THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND ALMOST EVERY BOX YOU
WOULD SEE HAVE THE NAME UIHLEIN
ON THE BOTTOM OF IT.
>> WHAT BAGS THE ORIGINAL
PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING.
>> UIHLEIN.
THEY DROPPED THE UMLAD OFFER THE
U TO MAKE IT MORE AMERICANIZED
AND MORE THAN CONFUSING.
>> HOW WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO
REMEMBER THE SCHLITZ BREWING
COMPANY AND THE UIHLEIN FAMILY?
>> IT WAS QUITE A VENTURE FOR
THE UIHLEIN FAMILY.
I THINK THEY DID A LOT FOR THE
CITY.
DONATED A LOT TO THE CITY.
I THINK THE BEER BUILT UP THE
IMAGE OF THE CITY.
SKIP THE LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY
JOKES ON THAT ONE, BUT IT MADE
MILWAUKEE THE BEER CAPITAL OF
THE WORLD ALONG WITH THE OTHER
BREWERIES, AND I THINK THE
UIHLEIN CONTRIBUTE A LOT TO IT,
AS DID MILWAUKEE.
>> UIHLEIN HALL, WE'VE GOT THE
SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE SOCIETY.
>> UIHLEIN FIELD AND SOCCER
PARK.
>> WHICH USED TO BE A POLO
FIELD.
>> I SPENT MANY A HAPPY DAYS
THERE EATING BRATS AND DRINKING
SCHLITZ BEER.
WHAT A MEASUREMENT WE WANTED TO
DO THIS -- WHAT A PLEASURE.
WE WANTED TO DO THE STORY OF
SCHLITZ FOR SO LONG.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT
TIME AS WE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER.
