Schlitz Beer Cone Top Can

Schlitz Sunshine Vitamin D Cone Top

This 12-ounce cone top can represents an iconic mid-1930s release from the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company. Produced during the earliest years of canned beer packaging, the container features low-profile cone construction and bears an Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement, dating its production between the repeal of Prohibition and 1950. Most striking on the label is the prominent declaration reading "THIS BEER CONTAINS SUNSHINE VITAMIN-D" set against a metallic gold background, accompanied by the mandatory state regulatory text indicating the contents do not exceed four percent alcohol by weight. The front face also features Schlitz's belted globe logo alongside the trademark angled banner.

Schlitz adopted the "Sunshine Vitamin D" positioning in 1936 to capitalize on nationwide enthusiasm for newly isolated vitamins, inspired in part by groundbreaking vitamin D irradiation research conducted nearby at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Advertised under the legendary slogan "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous"—which appears boldly across the center banner—the beer was marketed as a wholesome, invigorating beverage. Although the novelty of vitamin-fortified beer faded within a few years, Schlitz continued as a powerhouse brand throughout the mid-20th century. Recipe reformulation controversies in the late 1970s eventually crippled brand equity, and the label was later acquired by the Pabst Brewing Company.

The brewery traces its roots to 1849, when August Krug established a small brewing venture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After Krug's death, bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz took control, officially renaming the firm in 1858. The company vaulted to national prominence by shipping beer to Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Schlitz navigated Prohibition by marketing baker's yeast, malt syrup, and soft drinks, emerging after 1933 as one of the world's highest-volume brewing operations. Industry consolidation, labor disputes, and marketing missteps ultimately precipitated the closure of its historic Milwaukee plant in 1981.

Among breweriana enthusiasts, early cone tops from the dawn of canned packaging occupy a revered place. The Schlitz Vitamin D can is widely sought after as a cultural artifact that illustrates the intersection of post-Prohibition brewing, early tin can manufacturing, and Depression-era wellness advertising.