Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

1949 Schlitz Flat Top Beer Can

Issued around 1949 to coincide with the brewery's centennial milestone, this 12-ounce flat top can represents the classic mid-century packaging of the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The steel container includes an Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement from its post-war production era. The front face is anchored by the brewery's belted globe emblem positioned at the upper center, immediately above the script phrase "Famous Since 1849". A wide diagonal band frames the distinctive Schlitz script logotype, set directly above the historic slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous".

Schlitz was positioned as a premium American lager and grew into one of the country's most heavily advertised beer labels. The slogan "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous" became an enduring advertising powerhouse after the company sent trainloads of beer to Chicago in the aftermath of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. Backed by subsequent taglines such as "Just the Kiss of the Hops," Schlitz became a household name across the United States. Although formula and process alterations in the 1970s damaged its market share, the brand survived through acquisitions, eventually falling under the umbrella of the Pabst Brewing Company.

The brewery's origins trace back to 1849 when August Krug established a brewing enterprise in Milwaukee. Following Krug's death, bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz took over operations in 1858 and gave his name to the business. After Schlitz died in a shipwreck in 1875, management passed to the Uihlein brothers, who oversaw decades of massive industrial expansion. The company successfully navigated Prohibition by producing near beer, malt syrups, and baker's supplies, quickly regaining its footing after repeal and ascending to the position of top-selling brewer in America around the late 1940s and early 1950s.

For breweriana enthusiasts, mid-century flat top cans from national brewing powerhouses are foundational artifacts. This 1949 example holds broad interest as a clean representation of the post-war brewing era, capturing Schlitz at the zenith of its commercial influence.