Schlitz Malt Liquor Test Can

Prototype Schlitz Malt Liquor Cans

The Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, created test cans to evaluate experimental branding concepts, typography, and graphic layouts before committing to full-scale commercial packaging runs. Schlitz Malt Liquor, famous for introducing the iconic charging bull emblem to the American brewing landscape, served as a frequent subject for internal design trials and mock-ups.

During the development and ongoing marketing evolution of Schlitz Malt Liquor, major packaging manufacturers—including the American Can Company, Continental Can Company, and Reynolds Metals—produced trial proof cans and sample mock-ups specifically for review by brewery executives and packaging committees. These trial cans explored alternative color schemes, textured backgrounds, foil and paper overlays, and varied placements of the signature bull imagery.

Because these prototypes were produced strictly for internal evaluation, laboratory testing, sample rooms, or limited marketing focus groups rather than retail distribution, surviving examples entered the hobby primarily through brewery archives and can manufacturer sample collections. Several prototype iterations and label variations exist among collectors, chronicling the iterative design process of a major American brewer.