Burgermeister Beer 15 Oz Zip Top Can

Burgermeister 15 Oz Zip Top

During the 1960s, the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company expanded its West Coast footprint by acquiring the San Francisco Brewing Corporation, the longtime producer of the popular regional Burgermeister brand. Operating the historic San Francisco facility as the Burgermeister Division of Jos. Schlitz, the company updated Burgermeister's packaging to reflect both its corporate ownership and the latest container advancements of the era.

This 15-ounce container represents a distinct packaging format strongly associated with the Pacific Coast market, where intermediate oversized volumes gained notable traction alongside standard sizes and full pints. Schlitz played a central historical role in container innovation during this period, leading the industry's widespread adoption of early aluminum pull-tab tops across its portfolio.

The production era of this can also ties directly into significant legal history. The federal government initiated a major antitrust lawsuit against Schlitz following its acquisition of Burgermeister, alleging that the takeover substantially reduced brewing competition in California and neighboring states. The protracted legal battle resulted in a landmark decision mandating that Schlitz divest the San Francisco plant and the Burgermeister label.

Among breweriana collectors, several variations of the Burgermeister label from the Schlitz San Francisco facility are known, displaying subtle shifts in layout, mandatory brewery statements, and legal text across different production runs.