Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

1949 Schlitz Centennial Flat Top Can

This 12-ounce flat top beer can represents a notable post-World War II milestone for the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Issued around 1949, the can design highlights the brewery's centennial with the inscription "Famous Since 1849" positioned beneath the classic Schlitz globe trademark. The front face features the angled, banner-style brand script set against a contrasting panel, anchored at the base by the company’s enduring advertising slogan, "The BEER That Made Milwaukee Famous."

Schlitz was positioned as a premium American lager, marketed aggressively across national territories through ambitious promotional campaigns. The brand's legendary slogan originated in the late nineteenth century after Schlitz supplied relief beer and potable water to Chicago following the Great Fire of 1871, establishing profound goodwill and regional brand loyalty. By the mid-twentieth century, Schlitz stood at the pinnacle of the American brewing industry. Although ill-fated recipe adjustments and prolonged labor disputes triggered a steep decline in the 1970s, the brand persevered through later acquisitions by the Stroh Brewery Company and Pabst Brewing Company.

The brewery itself originated in 1849 when German immigrant August Krug opened a modest brewing establishment in Milwaukee. Following Krug's passing, his bookkeeper, Joseph Schlitz, assumed control of the operation and renamed the business. After Schlitz was tragically lost at sea in 1875, leadership passed to Krug's nephews, the Uihlein brothers, who guided the company into unprecedented national expansion. Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company navigated the dry years of Prohibition by manufacturing malt syrup, soft drinks, and bakers' yeast, emerging after Repeal to become the top-producing brewer in the United States.

For breweriana enthusiasts, mid-century flat top cans from Milwaukee’s brewing giants form an essential cornerstone of twentieth-century advertising history. This 1949 release is especially appealing to collectors because it captures the post-war packaging aesthetics and celebrates the centennial heritage of one of America's most influential legacy brewing powerhouses.