Old Milwaukee Beer Test Can

Old Milwaukee Experimental Can

Produced by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Old Milwaukee Beer Test Can represents an experimental phase in the brand's packaging history. Jos. Schlitz originally positioned Old Milwaukee as a competitive national offering alongside its flagship label, frequently evaluating updated branding concepts, coloration, and typography through trial production runs.

Test cans from Jos. Schlitz were manufactured in limited trial quantities for internal review, distributor presentations, and lithography proofing before major retail rollouts. Rather than standard high-speed production graphics, these containers often featured design adjustments such as modified brewery mandatory text, alternate brand script orientations, and trial paper or foil mock-up labels.

Known variations of Old Milwaukee test cans highlight the brand's shifting visual identity throughout its tenure under Jos. Schlitz, documenting factory proofing methods and experimental graphic concepts that never reached nationwide commercial distribution.