Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

1957 Schlitz Flat Top Beer Can

This 12-ounce flat top beer can dates to 1957, representing a classic mid-century container issued by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The label features the company's iconic belted globe insignia set against a prominent, angled red rectangular banner displaying the white script Schlitz lettering. Directly below the main branding is the legendary slogan, "The BEER That Made Milwaukee Famous," anchored by clean cream panels and gold-tone metallic borders, with "12 ozs." printed prominently above the main title block.

Schlitz was positioned as America's preeminent premium lager and became one of the most widely recognized commercial beers in the world. The slogan "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous" was adopted after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when the company sent hundreds of barrels of beer and fresh drinking water south to aid the stricken city. Throughout the mid-20th century, saturation advertising campaigns and memorable promotional slogans cemented the brand as a cornerstone of post-war American popular culture, enabling Schlitz to battle Anheuser-Busch for the title of the nation's best-selling beer during the 1950s.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company traced its origins to 1849, when August Krug opened a small brewing operation in Milwaukee. Following Krug's death, his bookkeeper, Joseph Schlitz, took over management and incorporated the firm under his own name in 1874. Schlitz navigated Prohibition by producing malt extract, baker's syrup, and non-alcoholic beverages, rebounding rapidly after repeal to establish state-of-the-art breweries nationwide. While production shifts and industry competition in the late 1970s diminished the company's market dominance—leading to its acquisition by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982 and eventual absorption into the Pabst brewing portfolio—the Schlitz name remains central to American industrial history.

For breweriana collectors, mid-century flat tops from the legacy Milwaukee powerhouses represent fundamental milestones in container history. This 1957 edition captures the post-war golden age of national brewery marketing and clean graphic design, making it an essential piece for collectors specializing in classic American lagers and vintage steel flat tops.