Following the nationwide trend towards the mass production of beer, many Milwaukee breweries began to decline. In the late 1970s, Schlitz attempted to cut costs by instituting “Accelerated Batch Fermentation,” which called for twenty-five percent more production and shorter fermentation times. The process led to beer with an unappealing cloudy appearance. Schlitz made additional cutbacks by cheapening the cardboard used in packaging, often resulting in containers tearing upon arrival to retailers. Sales began to fall and the brewery closed in 1981.

In 1961, Pabst bought out the Blatz brand and closed the brewery shortly after. Though Pabst continued producing Blatz for a limited time, Pabst eventually discontinued the brand.

Pabst Brewery itself began to decline following labor issues in the 1980s. The brewery went out-of-business in 1996 though the brand continues to survive through contract brewing. In recent years, however, with much local support, a new Pabst microbrewery opened at the former Pabst Brewery complex in the spring of 2017. Twenty years after the company closed its doors, Pabst is once again brewing up business at the historic Milwaukee site.