Schlitz Beer Flat Top Can

Schlitz Milwaukee Flat Top Can

Produced by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Schlitz Flat Top can remains one of the most recognizable pieces of breweriana. Schlitz, widely celebrated by its historic slogan "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous," played a major pioneering role in canned beverage distribution and packaging innovation.

Packaging Innovations and Milestones

Schlitz was among the earliest national breweries to invest heavily in flat top canning technology. Following the industry's transition toward canned beer, Schlitz helped advance the format by introducing larger capacity offerings, including the brewing industry's first sixteen-ounce flat top and twenty-four-ounce formats. The brewery also served as an early testing ground for aluminum soft top lids, which bridged the era between all-steel flat tops and subsequent tab-based designs.

During wartime material rationing, Schlitz flat top cans were produced in matte olive drab finishes exclusively for military personnel overseas, omitting the standard commercial livery.

Label Design and Variations

The classic commercial flat top label prominently features the iconic Schlitz belted globe trademark, framed with bold typography and rich metallic red, gold, and white lithography. Because Jos. Schlitz was one of the highest-producing brewing operations in the world, the cans were manufactured in collaboration with major can suppliers, including the American Can Company and Continental Can Company.

For breweriana collectors, several variations exist across different manufacturing runs. Early versions feature opening instruction panels along the seam, while others display mandatory Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) statutory text. Later iterations feature non-IRTP side panels, differing metallic lacquers, rim compositions, and minor updates to brewery location text. These production shifts make the Schlitz flat top an essential cornerstone in the study of twentieth-century American industrial packaging.