Schlitz Malt Liquor 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Schlitz Malt Liquor Tab Top Can

Produced by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Schlitz Malt Liquor 12 oz tab top can is one of the most recognizable graphic designs in malt beverage breweriana. The centerpiece of the layout is the famous charging bull mascot, which anchored massive nationwide advertising campaigns built around slogans such as "Don't say beer, say Bull!" and "Nobody does it like the bull".

The visual layout showcases the bold bull emblem set against a metallic and deep blue background, accompanied by the classic Schlitz script and the traditional declaration, "This Is Truly The Masterpiece Of Brewing Skill". For collectors, this design represents a defining era of American malt liquor marketing.

Several variations of this can exist across production runs due to Schlitz's nationwide brewing footprint and regional labeling laws:

• Brewery Mandatory Lines: Because Jos. Schlitz operated multiple packaging facilities, the side-panel mandatory text varies depending on the canning location, listing cities such as Milwaukee, Tampa, Longview, Los Angeles, Winston-Salem, and Memphis.
• State Regulatory Labeling: To comply with state alcohol beverage control laws that prohibited or restricted the term "Liquor," select distribution batches replaced the standard title with "Malt Lager".
• Manufacturer and Lid Marks: Cans feature varying maker marks from packaging suppliers such as the Continental Can Company, along with differing state tax stamps and specialized lid embossing.

These design and textual differences make the Schlitz Malt Liquor tab top a foundational piece for breweriana collectors focused on Milwaukee brewing history and iconic advertising emblems.