Schlitz Beer Pint Can

Schlitz 16 oz Super Softop Pint Can

This 16-ounce flat top pint can dates to the early 1960s, bearing a 1962 copyright date and brewed at the Jos. Schlitz facility in Kansas City, Missouri. A standout graphic feature on the face is the bright blue-and-white circular emblem at the upper left reading "SUPER SOFTOP ALUMINUM LID," which advertised the brewery's adoption of an aluminum top lid designed to make puncturing with a traditional churchkey opener easier than through standard tin-plated steel. The front also displays the iconic angled red Schlitz banner, the classic globe trademark, and the enduring slogan, "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous."

Schlitz was established as a powerhouse in the nineteenth century and went on to become one of the top-selling beer brands in the United States, trading the title of America's largest brewer multiple times throughout the twentieth century. Aggressively marketed as a premium lager, the brand relied on high-profile advertising, sports sponsorships, and memorable taglines. While brewing process changes and shifting consumer tastes eroded its market leadership during the late 1970s, Schlitz remains one of the most widely recognized historic labels in American brewing history.

The brewery traced its origins to 1849, when August Krug established a small tavern brewery in Milwaukee. Joseph Schlitz assumed control after Krug's death, renaming the firm the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company in 1858. Schlitz navigated Prohibition by producing near beer, malt syrup, and soft drinks, emerging after repeal to modernize and expand nationwide. As part of its postwar decentralized brewing strategy, Schlitz acquired the historic George Muehlebach Brewing Company facility in Kansas City in 1956, operating the plant until 1973. Following financial strain in the late 1970s, the company was purchased by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982.

For breweriana collectors, 16-ounce pint cans from the early 1960s represent a fascinating transitional era in packaging technology. This container highlights the industry's stepping-stone phase between all-steel flat tops and the rapid onset of pull-tab cans. Label variations featuring regional branch brewery lines like Kansas City and promotional graphics highlighting lid developments make this an engaging piece of mid-century canning heritage.