As the nineteenth century came to a close , Milwaukee was well-known as a national leader in the production of beer . The city was famous for its beer production to the point that its two leading brewers used slogans referring to its Milwaukee heritage ; Schlitz with " The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous " and Pabst with " Milwaukee beer is famous : Pabst has made it so " . By the end of the nineteenth century , Pabst 's beer could be found in almost every major city in the United States . Several factors contributed to Milwaukee 's brewing industry to become world renowned including its close proximity to Chicago in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire , and the aggressive business styles of the beer barons that emerged during those formative years leading up to its worldwide status . The rise of Milwaukee 's brewing industry continued into the 20th century . In 1900 , Schlitz Brewery began bottling its own beer . In 1901 , Independent Milwaukee Brewery , a mid-level sized brewer , opened in the city . By 1903 , Schlitz surpassed Pabst as the world 's best-selling beer . That same year , Miller introduced their flagship brand High Life . In 1912 , Schlitz started using brown bottles in its bottling process which was the first time a brewer had done so . During this time period , Milwaukee was home to four of the largest breweries in the world ( Schlitz , Pabst , Blatz , Miller )
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Beer in Milwaukee