Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

1957 Kansas City Schlitz Flat Top

During the mid-1950s, the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company was locked in an intense battle for national brewing supremacy. To increase production capacity and improve distribution across the American Midwest, Schlitz acquired the Kansas City, Missouri brewing plant of the George Muehlebach Brewing Company in 1956. By 1957, the Kansas City facility was canning flagship Schlitz beer under its own regional mandatory text.

This 12-ounce flat top features the classic mid-century graphic layout that defined the brand during this era. Centered against a cream-white background is the distinctive slanted rhomboid banner carrying the signature Schlitz script. Adjacent to the banner sits the familiar globe emblem encircled by a gold ribbon. Below the central insignia, the can prominently displays the legendary marketing slogan, "The BEER That Made Milwaukee Famous," which had served as the brewery's primary promotional tagline since the late nineteenth century.

Along the side seam, the can bears copyright labeling dated 1957 alongside brewery identification, making this container an important artifact from Schlitz's nationwide postwar brewery expansion.