Stroh’s to be brewed in Detroit again

For the first time since 1985, Stroh’s beer will be brewed in Detroit.

Pabst Brewing Company, which bought the Stroh’s Brewery Co. in 1999, announced Tuesday that Stroh’s Bohemian-style pilsner will be made at Brew Detroit, a 68,000-square-foot brewing facility in Corktown. The beer will be available only in Michigan stores, bars and restaurants starting Aug. 22.

“Stroh’s is Detroit,” said Dan McHugh, chief marketing officer of Pabst Brewing Company. “By reintroducing Stroh’s Bohemian-style pilsner and brewing in the city, we are tapping into the history and heritage of Stroh’s and the innovation and hard work of the people of Detroit.”

Stroh’s started brewing in Detroit in 1850. Pabst still brews Stroh’s Lager and Light brands. The pilsner recipe mimics a Stroh’s recipe from the late 1800s.

“The beer is a crisp, balanced pilsner with a floral aroma, subtle hop spice, and a rich, bready maltiness made from Saaz and Magnum hops and Vienna malt,” said Greg Deuhs, Pabst brewmaster, in a release.

Brew Detroit was under a confidentiality agreement Tuesday and could not comment on the beer’s production.

Kid Rock’s Badass American Lager and beers from Detroit’s Atwater Brewery and Motor City Brewing Works are produced at the collaborative brewery.

Eric Phillips, Stroh’s brand manager with Pabst, said Stroh’s is one of Pabst’s Local Legends brands. Recently, Pabst has committed to reviving brands with strong local ties.

Phillips said about a quarter of Stroh’s sales come from Michigan.

“It seems like there’s this dormant love for the Stroh’s brand ... and everybody has a connection to the brand,” he said. “It’s touched just about every Detroiter.”

The pilsner pulls from an old Stroh’s recipe, Phillips said, which the company worked closely with Brew Detroit to hone. One of the main complaints when Stroh’s left Michigan was that the beer “doesn’t quite taste the same,” he said.

Now that Stroh’s is being again brewed with Detroit water, he expects the pilsner “will have some of that traditional Stroh’s taste to it.”

The Stroh’s pilsner will be available in 12-ounce bottles exclusively in Michigan. The pilsner has 5.5 percent alcohol by volume.

He said there might be future expansion of Stroh’s products in Michigan and the Great Lakes region.

Special tapping events will be held around Michigan on Aug. 26 to celebrate the beer’s release. Information on where the tapping events will be held was not immediately available.

ithibodeau@detroitnews.com

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Twitter: @Ian_Thibodeau