Schlitz Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Schlitz Longview Tab Top Can

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company's 12 oz tab top can from Longview, Texas, represents an important era of regional expansion and packaging evolution for one of America's historic brewing giants. Established in 1966, the Longview facility was constructed to dramatically boost distribution across Texas and the southern United States, eventually adding dedicated can-making operations on site.

Packaging and Design

This container carries the classic Schlitz aesthetic, centered around the iconic logo and the famous slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous". Cans originating from the Longview plant feature mandatory text identifying the Texas location, either on its own or alongside the company's other national production facilities.

Variations and Testing

During its production run, the Longview packaging appeared across different container compositions, including straight steel and seamless aluminum. Several collector variations exist, featuring differences in mandatory city lists, minor font adjustments, and shifts in metallic finishes. The Longview facility was also notable for producing trial runs and test cans used to evaluate experimental inks, seam alignments, and metal coatings before wider rollouts. These factory variants make the Longview-marked cans a notable fixture in the documentation of mid-century industrial can manufacturing.