Schlitz Beer 16 Oz Zip Top Can

The Schlitz 16 Oz Zip Top Can

The Schlitz Beer 16 Oz Zip Top Can represents a notable chapter in packaging history for the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Schlitz was an early champion of the 16-ounce "Tall Boy" format, offering consumers a full pint container. When self-opening tops debuted across the brewing trade, Schlitz integrated the technology across its lineup, including this larger-capacity container.

Design and Branding

The container features classic Schlitz mid-century branding, centered on the signature Schlitz cursive script enclosed in a distinctive rhomboid frame. The layout proudly displays the brewery's legendary slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous," alongside mandatory volume markings designating the one-pint capacity. The elongated body provided ample canvas for bold, high-contrast red, white, and gold lithography.

Manufacturing and Variations

Manufactured by major container suppliers such as the Continental Can Company, the can consists of a steel body fitted with an aluminum zip top lid. Variations exist among collectors due to differences in brewery location listings on the seam, statutory state alcohol and tax statements, and small shifts in manufacturer canning codes.

Schlitz 16-ounce cans from this era remain key pieces of breweriana, reflecting both the height of Milwaukee's brewing dominance and the industry's shift toward self-opening metal packaging.