Schlitz Beer 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

1962 Los Angeles Schlitz Can

The 12-ounce Schlitz Beer straight steel can represents an era of significant packaging evolution for the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company's West Coast operations. Bearing a 1962 date marking, this container was produced out of the company's Los Angeles, California facility during the industry-wide transition toward modern self-opening beverage cans.

Packaging and Design

Fabricated from straight steel, the can features the traditional Schlitz aesthetic, anchored by the heritage slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous". The mandatory brewery markings identify production by Jos. Schlitz in Los Angeles, which had been established to supply the growing West Coast market.

The container is categorized among early self-opening ends, incorporating elements of zip top and tab top designs. Reference listings note that visual cataloging remains ambiguous as to whether specific illustrated examples show a true zip top or an early tab top lid.

Historical Context

In 1962, Schlitz was one of the foremost innovators in testing and adopting tear-tab and self-opening technology. Because cans were produced and distributed across multiple regional breweries, packaging runs from this era showcase subtle variations in manufacturing details, mandatory text layouts, and lid seaming methods. West Coast issues from the Los Angeles plant remain popular reference pieces for tracing the development of early 1960s pull-mechanism can tops.