Encore Brewmaster's Private Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Schlitz Encore Tab Top Can

Produced in 1968, this straight steel tab top can showcases the metallic gold and white presentation of Encore Brewmaster's Private Recipe Beer. Distinguishing this release is its metallic gold upper half and the placement of the Jos. Schlitz brewery information running along the seam. The 12-ounce container features ornate heraldry, displaying a lion and unicorn flanking a central fleur-de-lis crest above a banner ribbon and the founding date of 1849.

Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company introduced Encore in the late 1960s as a super-premium offering positioned to rival luxury competitors like Anheuser-Busch's Michelob and Pabst's Andeker. Marketed under the tagline "Brewmaster's Private Recipe Beer," the brand was touted as an exceptionally crafted lager that united rich character with a clean lightness. Promotions celebrated it as an experience worth repeating, drawing heavily on heritage imagery. Despite substantial marketing support and upscale packaging, the brand had a limited run in distribution and was phased out in the 1970s.

The brewer behind the can, the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company, traced its beginnings to Milwaukee in 1849 when August Krug started brewing. Joseph Schlitz assumed management and later ownership, expanding distribution dramatically after sending shipments of beer to Chicago in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871—a legendary relief effort that helped popularize the slogan "The beer that made Milwaukee famous." Schlitz survived Prohibition through the sale of malt syrups and beverage extracts, eventually rebounding to battle Anheuser-Busch for the top brewing spot in the United States during the mid-20th century. However, controversial brewing alterations and quality controversies in the 1970s caused sales to plummet, culminating in the sale of Schlitz assets to Stroh in 1982.

For breweriana collectors, this can provides a striking look at the late-1960s luxury brewing segment. Steel pull-tab examples from short-lived specialty lines offer tangible evidence of major brewing giants attempting to tap into premium markets decades before the modern craft beer movement. Its metallic printing and classic heraldic motifs make it a standout piece of Schlitz company history.