Schlitz Malt Liquor 8 Oz Tab Top Can

Schlitz Malt Liquor 8-Ounce Can

This 1970 eight-ounce straight steel tab top can represents a classic packaging format produced by the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company. The front face showcases the brewery's stylized bull emblem in metallic silver, positioned between the brand name and the arched "Malt Liquor" lettering. The volume is rendered in black text reading "Contents 8 Fluid Ounces," sitting above a prominent lower decorative band filled with intricate medieval coin medallions. Encircling the bottom rim is a blue mandatory statement identifying eight Schlitz brewing cities, including Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Tampa, and Longview.

Schlitz introduced its malt liquor in 1963 to compete in the rapidly expanding malt liquor category alongside contemporaries like Colt 45. While early marketing attempted to frame the beverage as an upscale option served at cocktail parties, the company soon pivoted to a bold, action-packed campaign. Memorable television commercials featured a live Brahma bull crashing through walls, cementing the mascot in pop culture alongside the enduring slogan, "Don't say beer, say Bull". The brand remained a major player in the segment for decades before production rights transitioned through corporate acquisitions.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developing from a small tavern brewery started by August Krug in 1849. After Krug's passing, Joseph Schlitz took over management, and leadership later passed to the Uihlein family. Billed as "The beer that made Milwaukee famous," Schlitz survived Prohibition by manufacturing non-alcoholic malt drinks and baker's yeast. In the mid-twentieth century, it grew into one of the largest brewing operations in the United States before financial struggles and industry consolidation led to its purchase by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1982.

Within breweriana collecting, eight-ounce "nip" cans form a widely collected niche. This can is particularly prized for its period graphic design, with collectors tracking variations distinguished by mandatory text color, lid composition, and brewery city listings along the rim.