Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

1962 Brooklyn Schlitz Flat Top

The Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can represents an iconic design from mid-century American brewing history. Issued around 1962 by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company from its regional plant in Brooklyn, New York, this 12-ounce container exemplifies the high-volume metropolitan packaging produced during the company's height as a dominant national brewer.

Industrial and Regional Context

During the post-World War II era, Milwaukee-based Schlitz established and acquired breweries across the country to streamline regional distribution. The Brooklyn facility supplied the densely populated East Coast market, allowing the company to ship fresh beer across the northeastern United States. Containers bearing the Brooklyn mandatory mark are central to documenting the geographical distribution network maintained by Schlitz during the early 1960s.

Design and Packaging Transition

The container features the signature Schlitz color scheme and layout, highlighted by the familiar cursive brand script set against a bold red band and flanked by the company's trademark belted globe emblem.

The 1962 production period represents a significant transition in beer packaging technology. While flat tops had been the packaging standard for decades, the early 1960s saw the rapid development and testing of self-opening aluminum tops and zip tabs across major national brands. This can captures the mature aesthetic of the traditional flat top era just prior to the widespread shift to self-opening ends. Variations exist across the different regional brewing locations and canning lines operating during this production run, making city-specific mandatory lines a primary focus for can collectors.