Schlitz Beer Test Can

1972 Schlitz 8-City Test Can

Produced in 1972, this twelve-ounce straight steel tab top container represents an experimental test issue created for the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company. Designed to evaluate packaging graphics and lithographic finishes, it showcases the classic Schlitz presentation centered around a bold, angled rhomboid framing the signature white script logo. Above the central diamond sits the historic Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co. belted globe trademark flanked by decorative scrollwork, while the cursive slogan "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous" is printed across the lower body. Along the bottom rim, a mandatory production statement lists eight brewing plant locations, including Milwaukee, Brooklyn, and Tampa.

The Schlitz flagship label traces its origins to the mid-nineteenth century, eventually growing into one of the most recognizable consumer brands in American history. Schlitz earned national prominence through expansive nationwide distribution and memorable marketing campaigns. In addition to its enduring Milwaukee slogan, 1970s advertising famously urged consumers to "Go for the gusto." During this era, Schlitz stood as a fierce rival to Anheuser-Busch for the top sales position in the United States, though cost-cutting production adjustments and shifting consumer tastes in later years reduced its commercial footprint.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company began in Milwaukee when August Krug founded a small tavern and brewing operation in 1849. After Krug's death, former bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz assumed management and incorporated the firm. The company's fortunes expanded dramatically following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when Schlitz sent hundreds of barrels of fresh drinking water and beer to the devastated city, winning lifelong customer loyalty and cementing its national reputation. The brewery navigated Prohibition by manufacturing malt extract and other non-alcoholic goods, afterward reemerging to build a nationwide network of production facilities. Continued industry consolidation eventually led to Schlitz's acquisition by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982, with the brand rights later passing to Pabst.

Test cans from major twentieth-century national breweries represent an engaging category within breweriana collecting. These trial containers document the developmental stages behind commercial packaging, providing physical evidence of how graphic artists and metal fabricators evaluated label typography, color schemes, and multi-city mandatory line arrangements prior to wide-scale market release.