Schlitz Malt Liquor 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

Schlitz Malt Liquor Tab Top Can

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, introduced Schlitz Malt Liquor during an era of significant expansion and packaging innovation among major American brewers. This release is historically notable for establishing one of the most recognized mascots in breweriana history: the iconic charging bull. The imagery would go on to define decades of promotional campaigns, eventually spawning the famous slogan, "Don't say beer, say Bull".

Manufactured with a steel body and an aluminum opening end, the can captures the transition period when self-opening tops rapidly reshaped the packaging landscape. For collectors, the can is recognized for several manufacturing variations. Because Jos. Schlitz operated multiple production plants across the United States, variations can be found featuring different mandatory city listings along the seam, including locations such as Milwaukee, Tampa, Longview, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn. Other documented differences among print runs include slight shifts in metallic background tones, small typography adjustments, and subtle line-art differences in the bull emblem.

Schlitz was meticulous about copyright notices along the seam, allowing collectors to contextualize different production runs within the brewery's broader mid-century portfolio. Today, the can remains a staple piece of American malt liquor memorabilia and a classic artifact from Schlitz's golden age of distribution.