Pabst. Schlitz. Blatz. Miller. These brands are synonymous with Wisconsin where the beer business boomed at the turn of the twentieth century. Prior to Prohibition, the beer industry spread throughout the state, reaching north to include Stevens Point Brewery and the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and west to the G. Heileman Brewing Company and many smaller breweries in between.
In 1892, Milwaukee was home to two of the three largest brewers in the country—Pabst and Schlitz. During this time, brewers took advantage of the revolution in modern advertising to convince a thirsty public that their brews were the best. This resulted in some of the most iconic images of early American pop culture, elaborate signage, and unforgettable slogans: Schlitz’s “The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous” or the Girl in the Moon image from 1907 that has endured as the quintessential face of Miller.
Source: MOWA Art on Tap