Schlitz Beer Test Can

1973 Schlitz Beer Aluminum Test Can

Dating to 1973, this 12-ounce aluminum tab top test can represents an experimental packaging concept developed for the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company. Unlike the standard production cans distributed during the early 1970s, this design showcases a stark black-and-white color palette. A bold, angled white field across the midsection carries the familiar Schlitz script, topped by a circular brand medallion flanked by ornate scrollwork. Beneath the center field, the long-running motto "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous" appears in script above a copyright line listing seven brewing cities.

Schlitz was one of America's definitive national beer brands for over a century. Positioned as a flagship American lager, it achieved mainstream prominence through memorable marketing slogans, including "When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer," and its famous mid-century campaigns urging consumers to reach for "all the gusto." The brand's legendary slogan originated after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when the company sent hundreds of barrels of beer and potable water south to relief efforts, turning the regional beer into a nationally recognized household name.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1849 when August Krug established a small brewing enterprise. Following Krug's death, bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz assumed control in 1858 and reorganized the business under his own name. Managed for generations by the Uihlein family, the brewery expanded into an industrial giant. It weathered Prohibition by producing malt extract, soda, and baker's yeast before rebounding swiftly following repeal. By the 1950s and 1960s, Schlitz vied for the title of the largest brewer in the world, opening modern packaging and brewing facilities across the United States. However, disastrous formula changes and packaging controversies during the late 1970s severely damaged the brand, leading to the company's sale to the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982.

Within breweriana collecting, test cans represent a captivating category because they capture unreleased or trial graphic concepts that never entered mass production. Cans from major mid-century brewing giants reflecting alternative colorways or prototype layouts hold high appeal for specialized brand and label collectors.