Schlitz Malt Liquor Test Can

Experimental Schlitz Bull Design

During the mid-to-late twentieth century, the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, frequently experimented with bold marketing concepts and visual packaging for its high-profile Schlitz Malt Liquor brand. Recognized for its famous charging bull emblem, the brand served as a dynamic testing ground for packaging designers and can manufacturers looking to capture consumer attention.

To evaluate prospective graphic updates, typography changes, and experimental color schemes before committing to massive nationwide distribution runs, Jos. Schlitz commissioned internal test cans. Packaging powerhouses such as the American Can Company, Continental Can Company, and Reynolds Metals created proof samples, sample room mock-ups, and trial press runs specifically for review by brewery executives and marketing focus groups.

These trial cans frequently featured exploratory design elements that never reached standard production lines, including alternative bull illustrations, modified banner alignments, trial metallic finishes, and paper or foil overlays. Because these items were strictly intended for internal evaluation and quality control rather than commercial retail shelves, surviving examples primarily surfaced through brewery sample archives, retired employee collections, and manufacturer proof vaults.

Within breweriana collecting, these prototype cans provide valuable insight into the creative and technical processes behind one of America's most iconic beverage brands. Multiple variations exist across the test runs, documenting the evolution of the Schlitz bull motif and the company's experimental approach to packaging innovation.