Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

1957 Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

Dating to 1957, this twelve-ounce steel flat top represents an iconic mid-century design from the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company, connected to its Brooklyn, New York brewing operations. The front of the can features the classic Schlitz slanted crimson banner displaying the company's flowing white script logo, flanked by the belted globe trademark and metallic gold accent banding. Prominently printed across the lower field is the enduring slogan, "The BEER That Made Milwaukee Famous," framed by matching red bands at the top and bottom rims.

Schlitz originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and rose to national prominence during the late nineteenth century. Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the company famously shipped hundreds of barrels of beer to the stricken city, an act of goodwill and logistical prowess that popularized its celebrated tagline across the United States. Positioned as a flagship American lager, the brand maintained an aggressive marketing presence throughout the mid-twentieth century via print, radio, and television broadcasts, engaging in a continuous race for the nation's top-selling beer title through the 1950s.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company began in 1849 when German immigrant August Krug founded a small brewing enterprise in Milwaukee. After Krug's death, bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz took charge of the business, renaming it and formally incorporating in 1874. Schlitz weathered Prohibition by manufacturing baker's yeast, malt syrup, and near beer. Following repeal, the brewery modernized and expanded nationally, establishing regional production hubs such as the Brooklyn facility to supply East Coast markets efficiently. After facing shifting market dynamics and corporate challenges during the 1970s, the company was acquired by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982, with the brand legacy later preserved under the Pabst Brewing Company.

Mid-century flat tops from the 1950s represent a defining era of breweriana collecting, capturing the pinnacle of steel, punch-open beverage packaging. Schlitz examples from this decade remain popular among collectors, particularly those who pursue regional brewery location variants that document the nationwide manufacturing network of historic national brewers.