Schlitz Beer Test Can

1966 Schlitz Fiber Test Can

This 12-ounce tab top container represents an experimental packaging trial conducted in 1966 by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company. Unlike conventional all-steel or aluminum cans of the mid-1960s, this test piece was manufactured using a laminated fiber composite body with embossed surface elements. The front face showcases the heritage globe emblem encircled by a blue-and-white earth motif, the angled maroon quadrilateral containing the white Schlitz script logotype, and the iconic tagline, The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous, scripted across the lower portion. Mandatory text along the bottom rim credits the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Schlitz brand originated after August Krug established a small brewery in Milwaukee in 1849. Following Krug's death, brewery manager Joseph Schlitz took control and formally incorporated the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company in 1856. The company gained national recognition after shipping thousands of barrels of beer to Chicago following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, inspiring the enduring slogan The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous. Throughout the mid-20th century, Schlitz reigned as one of the largest brewing brands in the United States, known for major national marketing pushes and pioneering packaging introductions, such as brown glass bottles and pop-tab tops.

During the 1960s, container manufacturers and major breweries actively experimented with composite materials, including foil-lined fiberboard and alternative seams, to reduce production costs and container weight. While fiber cans achieved commercial viability in dry goods and frozen juice packaging, experimental runs for carbonated beverages faced sealing and pressure barriers, ensuring that these test issues never entered mainstream retail production. Schlitz later faced corporate headwinds following cost-cutting formulation changes in the 1970s, eventually leading to its acquisition by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982 and subsequent integration into the Pabst brand portfolio.

For breweriana enthusiasts, experimental prototypes and test cans represent a compelling collecting niche. Produced strictly for internal technical testing and executive review rather than general market distribution, surviving fiber test cans provide valuable historical evidence of mid-century packaging engineering and the corporate development of one of Milwaukee’s titan breweries.