Schlitz Malt Liquor 8 Oz Tab Top Can

1973 Schlitz Malt Liquor 8 Oz Can

Dating to 1973, this eight-ounce straight steel tab top container highlights a classic era of national malt liquor packaging. The front features the recognizable deep blue charging bull set inside an ornate silver medallion and scrollwork frame, anchored below by bold blue "MALT LIQUOR" lettering across a clean white band. Along the bottom rim, the mandatory brewery text lists eight production locations, with a distinctive dot following the primary Milwaukee entry. Minor production variations exist within this label design run, where subtle printing details and color tone shifts differentiate closely related issues in historical catalogs.

Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company launched Schlitz Malt Liquor in the early 1960s to compete in the expanding market for higher-strength malt beverages. Initially marketed with upscale elegance, the brand soon embraced a bolder identity centered entirely on its powerful mascot. Schlitz built a memorable advertising presence through campaigns urging drinkers, "Don't say beer, say Bull," alongside commercials featuring a live bull crashing through walls. The beverage became one of the dominant labels in the malt liquor category and remained a cornerstone product for decades.

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company traced its roots to 1849, when August Krug established a small brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following Krug’s death, bookkeeper Joseph Schlitz took control of the enterprise, incorporating under his own name. The brewery rose to national prominence in the late nineteenth century, famously shipping beer to aid relief efforts after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire and adopting the slogan "The beer that made Milwaukee famous." By the mid-twentieth century, Schlitz had grown into one of the largest brewing empires in the world, operating a vast network of regional production plants. However, recipe modifications and labor disputes in the 1970s eroded its standing, culminating in the company's sale to Stroh Brewery Company in 1982 and eventually Pabst.

Eight-ounce malt liquor cans occupy a specialized niche among breweriana enthusiasts. Known among collectors for their compact stature and distinctive mascot artwork, these 1970s pull tab cans offer an engaging study in mandatory city line variations from an era when national brewing giants operated facilities across the United States.