Schlitz Class Of 39, 1964 Vat 39 25th Reunion Can

Schlitz 1964 Vat 39 Reunion Can

The Schlitz Class of 1939 "Vat 39" 25th Reunion can is a 16-ounce straight-steel drinking mug produced in 1964 for Princeton University's milestone twenty-fifth class reunion held in June of that year. Commissioned exclusively for alumni hospitality rather than standard commercial sale, the container features vertical panel lines reminiscent of tavern siding. The face highlights Princeton's mascot—a collegiate tiger donning a mortarboard cap—peering from behind a dripping candle jug labeled "VAT 39", accompanied by reunion text and the classic slanted Schlitz rhomboid logo near the bottom rim.

Schlitz built its powerhouse reputation throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries behind the enduring slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous." Positioned as a flagship American lager, the brand was marketed through extensive national print, radio, and television campaigns emphasizing pure brewing ingredients and refined taste. During the mid-twentieth century, Schlitz was a dominant force on grocery shelves and tavern taps nationwide, serving as the benchmark premium beer for generations of consumers.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company traces its beginnings to 1849, when August Krug opened a small brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Joseph Schlitz took over the operations following Krug's death and incorporated the company under his own name in 1858. The brewery's national profile skyrocketed after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, when it shipped large quantities of beer to the devastated city. After successfully navigating Prohibition through the sale of malt syrups and non-alcoholic beverages, Schlitz expanded rapidly across the country, frequently vying for the title of America's largest brewing company before corporate restructuring and an eventual buyout by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982.

Princeton reunion cans represent a highly focused and storied niche within breweriana collecting. Because these customized cans were produced in private batches solely for alumni attendees during specific weekend gatherings, they provide a direct link to Ivy League social traditions and mid-century corporate partnerships.