A Farewell to Schlitz: Golden Goddess Bobbleheads Celebrate a Brewing Legend

Schlitz is now bidding its fans farewell, with a final brew of the classic beer produced after over 175 years of production. To celebrate the occasion, a new release of Golden Goddess bobbleheads pays tribute to the long history of the brand and its most iconic advertising icon. The collectibles are arriving as fans look back on the legacy of a beer that once put the city of Milwaukee on the map for American brewing.

According to a press release from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum (which is producing the bobbleheads), each will be individually numbered to 2,026. And they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store.

Last month, it was announced that Schlitz, which was marketed as “the beer that made Milwaukee famous,” and was once America’s largest brewer would brew its final batch on May 23rd. It is in commemoration of this that the bobbleheads, featuring the iconic Schlitz Golden Goddess sitting on a world globe beer tap and another of the Golden Goddess holding up the globe with the Schlitz logo, are being produced.

Featured in mid-century Schlitz Brewing Company advertising, the Golden Goddess is best known as the subject of the highly collectible 1960s and 1970s illuminated bar statues and lamps, which depict a glowing, golden-toned woman holding a stained-glass-style world globe above her head. The first bobblehead is sitting on a world globe beer tap reading “On Draught In The World’s Best,” while the second bobblehead is holding up a belted globe with the Schlitz logo. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in December, are $40 each or $75 for the set of two plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. The Museum previously released a bobble of the iconic Schlitz logo, which was first introduced in 1892, along with a Joseph Schlitz bobblehead from the Milwaukee Beer Baron collection.

Founded by August Krug in 1849 (with ownership passed to Joseph Schlitz in 1858 when he married Krug’s widow), the Schlitz Brewing Company was one of Milwaukee’s industrial brewing giants. “The beer that made Milwaukee famous” was an important innovator in the national brewing industry and the largest brewery in the United States for a significant part of the 20th century. Schlitz first became the largest beer producer in the U.S. in 1902 and enjoyed that status at several points during the first half of the 20th century. Schlitz returned to its position as a national brewing leader after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, becoming the largest American brewery again by 1947, and remained in either first or second place until the mid-1970s. 

Schlitz developed innovative television marketing campaigns in the 1960s with the slogans, “Real gusto in a great light beer,” and “When you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of beer.”

Schlitz was bought by Stroh Brewery Company in 1982 and subsequently sold along with the rest of Stroh’s assets to Pabst Brewing Company in 1999. On November 13th, 2014, Pabst Brewing Company was purchased by American entrepreneur Eugene Kashper and TSG Consumer Partners. The deal included the Schlitz brand, as well as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Milwaukee, and Colt 45. On May 15th, Pabst announced it would discontinue production of Schlitz. Pre-orders for the final 80-barrel batch of Schlitz beer – brewed using a vintage 1948 recipe by the Wisconsin Brewing Company – sold out shortly after opening. The beer is scheduled to be available on June 27th.

“We’re excited to unveil these bobbleheads in celebration of the 175-year run of Schlitz beer,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “With the help of its iconic logo, ‘the beer that made Milwaukee famous’ has embodied the spirit of Milwaukee for the better part of two centuries. Schlitz will be missed by many, but these bobbleheads will be a must-have for Schlitz fans everywhere and the perfect way to remember an iconic beer that made Milwaukee famous!”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals and teams across the country. Visit along online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.