Schlitz Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Schlitz 12 Oz Tab Top Can

This aluminum tab top can represents a classic iteration of Schlitz Beer, characterized by the slender, tall profile used during the later tab top era. The face of the container prominently displays the signature Schlitz script inside a slanted red rhomboid field, crowned by the traditional globe and laurel trademark. Notable operational markings on the can include the dual imperial and metric measurement (12 FL. OZ. / 355ml), a Universal Product Code (UPC), and brewery listings referencing six production cities operated under the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company name.

Schlitz emerged as one of the most widely consumed lagers in the United States. The brand became internationally recognized through its enduring slogan, "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous," introduced around 1893. Mid-century marketing cemented the brand's cultural presence with memorable taglines, including "When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer" and the invitation to "Go for the Gusto." Despite suffering major market losses in the late 1970s due to altered brewing formulations and aggressive industry competition, the brand remains an iconic symbol of classic American brewing history.

The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company traces its beginnings to 1849, when German immigrant August Krug opened a small brewing operation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following Krug's death in 1856, bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz took control of the business and incorporated it under his own name. Schlitz gained massive nationwide goodwill and customer loyalty after shipping large supplies of beer and fresh water to Chicago following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, establishing pivotal rail distribution routes. After Schlitz was lost at sea in 1875, Krug's nephews, the Uihlein family, took over leadership and built the company into the largest beer producer in the United States. The company was eventually sold to the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982 and later integrated into the Pabst Brewing Company portfolio.

For collectors of breweriana, this can marks a key transitional phase in American packaging, documenting the shift to aluminum manufacturing, metric labeling, and retail barcode integration during the final chapters of independent corporate operation for one of Milwaukee's historic brewing giants.