3.5" by Bastian. The Brown Bottle Guest Hall & Hospitality Center opened in the basement of Milwaukee's Schlitz office building Aug. 18, 1938. Irwin Uihlein, President of Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. choose the name to commemorate an innovative brown glass bottle introduced in 1911 to deter the effect of sunlight on bottled beer. The ornate room was all antique oak salvaged from European castles, inns and estates. A vast parade of celebrities visited such as Bob Hope, Lucy & Desi, Louis Armstrong, Roy Rogers, President Truman and many others. The hospitality center closed in 1982 when Schlitz was acquired by Strohs, but it was purchased by local investors and re-opened in 1986 as the Brown Bottle Pub. Scarce and Exc.