Production of Schlitz, "The beer that made Milwaukee famous," coming to a halt after 177 years

It's the last call for one of America's longest-running beers.

Pabst Brewing Co. confirmed it is halting production of Schlitz, once dubbed "The beer that made Milwaukee famous."

"Unfortunately, we have seen continued increases in our costs to store and ship certain products and have had to make the tough choice to place Schlitz Premium on hiatus," the company said in a statement. 

Founded in 1849, the brand grew massively in 1871 after the Great Chicago Fire destroyed many of Chicago's breweries.

Schlitz battled Anheuser-Busch for years for the title of America's top-selling beer, but its popularity waned in recent years.

Pabst bought the brand in 1999, and while it will be halting production starting May 23, the company left the door open to bring Schlitz back somewhere down the line.

"Any brand or packaging configuration that is put on hiatus is still a cherished part of our history and hopefully our future. We continually look for opportunities to bring back beloved brands and customer feedback is important in shaping those discussions," the company said in a statement.

Editor's note: this article has been corrected to reflect that production of Schlitz is not ending permanently, but only placed "on hiatus," according to Pabst Brewing Co.