Schlitz Beer Pint Can

Schlitz 1962 Super Softop Pint Can

This 16-ounce flat top pint can from 1962 marks a pivotal transitional moment in American beverage packaging. Standing out near the upper left of the label is a circular blue promotional burst declaring "SUPER SOFTOP ALUMINUM LID". During the early 1960s, brewers began outfitting steel cans with softer aluminum ends, making them significantly easier to puncture with a standard churchkey opener before self-opening pull tabs became industry standard. Schlitz advertised this packaging advancement directly on the front panel, situated alongside the iconic red rhomboid brand logo and the famous tagline, "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous," rendered in flowing cursive script. This specific pint issue includes a two-city mandatory statement referencing Jos. Schlitz operations in Brooklyn, New York.

Schlitz originated in the mid-nineteenth century and grew into one of the most recognized consumer brands in the United States. Marketed as a premier American lager, it achieved massive nationwide recognition with famous advertising lines such as "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous" and the memorable "Real Gusto" campaigns of the 1960s. The brand consistently vied for the top position in American brewing for decades before industry shifts, recipe changes, and consolidation led to its sale to the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982, after which the brand rights eventually transferred to Pabst.

The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company traces its beginnings to 1849 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when August Krug established a tavern brewery. Joseph Schlitz assumed management and gave the company his name in 1858. The brewery gained national prominence after shipping fresh water and beer to Chicago during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Schlitz survived Prohibition through non-alcoholic products and expanded aggressively across the country in the post-World War II era, operating major regional breweries in cities such as Brooklyn to meet coastal demand.

For breweriana enthusiasts, this 16-ounce half-quart can provides an important window into canning history. Pint-size flats are popular among odd-size collectors, and the prominent Softop promotion highlights the rapid evolution of mid-century can manufacturing and marketing strategies.