Reno Light Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Schlitz Reno Light Test Can

This 12-ounce aluminum tab top can is an experimental foil-label test container produced for the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company. Dating to the late 1970s, the can incorporates modern packaging features of that era, including metric volume notation (355 ml) alongside the standard 12 fluid ounces and a Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode printed on the side panel. The mandatory text running around the bottom rim lists Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company across six brewing facility locations, including Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Tampa, Florida. The top portion of the label displays an average nutritional analysis detailing 120 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates per serving, positioned beneath introductory text describing the beverage as a distinctive light beer brewed with fine ingredients.

Reno Light was conceived during an era when major American brewers were aggressively testing new formulas, names, and label concepts to capture a share of the booming light beer market. Following the dramatic rise in popularity of reduced-calorie lagers throughout the 1970s, Schlitz explored diverse product lines to compete with emerging industry leaders. Reno Light was developed as a prospective brand emphasizing defined caloric limits and quality hops, malts, and cereal grains. The concept did not transition into full-scale national production, leaving the brand as an intriguing chapter in the brewery's late-twentieth-century research and development efforts.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company traced its heritage to August Krug's small Milwaukee brewery founded in 1849. Joseph Schlitz took over management and subsequently ownership, guiding the firm toward massive industrial expansion under the enduring slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous." Schlitz adapted during Prohibition by manufacturing near-beer and malt syrups, resuming full-strength production after Repeal and rising to become one of the top-selling brewing operations in the United States. Following intense market competition and corporate challenges during the late 1970s, the company was ultimately acquired by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982.

Foil-applied test cans and prototype containers hold a dedicated following among breweriana enthusiasts. They provide tangible artifacts of corporate design history and brand exploration during a transformative period in American beer packaging. (Photo documentation courtesy of Morean Auctions.)