Encore Beer Test Can

Jos. Schlitz Encore Test Can

This straight steel, tab-top container represents a developmental test can for Encore Beer, produced by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Documented through Morean Auctions archival photography, this 12-ounce test piece features embossed detailing and elaborate heraldic styling. A prominent upper emblem displays the founding year "1849" above a fleur-de-lis motif flanked by rampant lion supporters, resting over an arching scroll that reads "Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co." Below the crest, the label identifies the brew as "Brewmaster's Private Recipe Beer," which sits directly atop the distinctively stylized "eNCORE" brand lettering and a 12-fluid-ounce volume declaration.

Schlitz introduced Encore in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a super-premium product engineered to compete against rival flagship luxury labels like Michelob. Marketed as an upscale choice for discerning drinkers, promotional campaigns framed the beer as an experience worth repeating, emphasizing a refined brewing process that combined lightness with a rich flavor profile. Despite receiving promotional support via tavern barware, illuminated signs, and specialized retail packaging, Encore had a relatively brief run on store shelves and was phased out as company strategies shifted during the 1970s.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company traced its origin to 1849, when August Krug founded a modest Milwaukee operation that bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz later assumed control of and expanded. Schlitz gained national renown after sending generous shipments of water and beer to aid relief efforts during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, establishing its long-lived slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous." The company weathered Prohibition through the sale of malt syrups and non-alcoholic drinks, emerging to become one of the top-selling brewing giants in the United States throughout the mid-20th century. Changing consumer tastes and management struggles in the 1970s eventually led to its acquisition by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982.

Test cans hold an enduring appeal for breweriana collectors because they capture pre-production label layouts, conceptual artwork, and trial container formats that were never widely distributed to the general public. With its embossed steel fabrication and stately heraldic motif, this Encore artifact offers an intriguing look at Schlitz's premium brand experimentation.