Schlitz beer is about to be brewed for the last time.

Wisconsin Brewing Company, with permission from Schlitz's owner, Pabst Brewing Company, announced it'll brew a final 80-barrel batch on Saturday, May 23, at its Verona brewery. The batch will be brewed using Schlitz's specifications dating back to 1948, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The company was founded in 1849 in a Milwaukee tavern before later expanding and, at one time, becoming America's largest brewer. Kirby Nelson with Wisconsin Brewing Co. said he wanted the brand to go out with "dignity and respect," according to the Journal Sentinel.

Pabst Brewing Company stopped brewing Schlitz months ago, reported local TV station WQOW.

The final brew on Saturday is a throwback to "Schlitz's glory days," Nelson said, adding that it is "Wisconsin Brewing Company's love letter to our state."

USA TODAY reached out to Pabst Brewing Company for more information.

The last batch will be available for pre-order on May 23 on Wisconsin Brewing Co.'s website, according to the outlet. The beer will then be available on June 27.

Schlitz began in 1849 as a tavern brewery owned by August Krug, according to the Journal Sentinel. After Krug died in 1856, Joseph Schlitz, the company's bookkeeper, bought the company and renamed it.

Schlitz died at sea five years later, but the company was acquired as the city's brewing industry exploded. This made the company one of the country's largest beer companies.

Still, the company had stiff competition from rival brands: Miller and Pabst. In 1981, Schlitz announced it would cease operations, before Pabst Brewing Co. purchased the company in 1999.

It relaunched in 2008 but did not reach the popularity it once had, prompting the company to discontinue the brand this month.

Some people might remember the beer being tied to the popular 1970s sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," which was set in Milwaukee. In the show, the main characters worked on the factory line at fictional Shotz Brewery, widely considered to be inspired by Schlitz.

Fans mourned the loss of the beer on social media.

Bob McKinlay wrote about his Schlitz memories on Facebook. In 1982, he rode the daily commuter rail from Union Station in Washington, D.C. to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. When he arrived at the station early, he "grabbed two thirst-quenching Schlitz draft beers to lessen the intensity of the summer heat."

John Gray said the beer was one of the first he'd ever tasted when he was "young and dumb." He added: "Thanks for the memories, Schlitz."

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This famous beer will be brewed one last time, ending 177-year run