Old Milwaukee Genuine Draft 12 Oz Tab Top Can

1971 Old Milwaukee Genuine Draft Can

Manufactured during the early 1970s, this twelve-ounce straight steel tab top container represents the packaging utilized by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company during an era of nationwide multi-plant expansion. Carrying a 1971 copyright marking along the lower rim, the can lists eight brewing cities, led by the company's facility in Longview, Texas. A key identifying characteristic of this particular issue is the presence of narrow gray vertical seam lines running behind the central graphics, framing the traditional heraldic crest and the bold "Old Milwaukee" script emblazoned across the central crimson banner.

Jos. Schlitz originally introduced the Old Milwaukee label in the late nineteenth century before reviving it in the 1950s as a budget-friendly counterpart to its flagship lager. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Old Milwaukee was rebranded to highlight a genuine draft process, catering to working-class consumers seeking quality beer at an accessible price point. Promoted heavily with memorable advertising campaigns that declared the brew tasted as great as its name, Old Milwaukee evolved into one of the country's best-selling economy brands. The label survived the eventual collapse of its parent firm, passing through subsequent ownership under the Stroh Brewery Company and later into the Pabst Brewing Company portfolio.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company traced its origins to 1849, when August Krug established a small brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Joseph Schlitz took management of the business after Krug's death, steering the enterprise into an industrial titan famously recognized as "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous". Schlitz survived Prohibition by manufacturing non-alcoholic beverages and confections, re-emerging to construct massive regional production facilities across the country, including modern breweries in Tampa and Longview. Throughout much of the mid-twentieth century, Schlitz vied directly with Anheuser-Busch for the mantle of America's largest brewer before production alterations and corporate miscalculations during the 1970s precipitated a swift decline, leading to its acquisition by Stroh in 1982.

For breweriana enthusiasts, 1970s straight steel tab tops document an important transitional chapter in beverage manufacturing before the universal adoption of lightweight aluminum cans. Containers from the Schlitz network hold enduring appeal among collectors because the company's multi-plant operations created numerous distinct city mandatory lists, fine graphical nuances, and subtle seam variations that reward dedicated regional and brand researchers.