Schlitz Sunshine Vitamin D Beer Cone Top Can

Schlitz Sunshine Vitamin D Cone Top

In the mid-1930s, the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee capitalized on the era's growing public interest in nutrition by introducing Schlitz Sunshine Vitamin D Beer. The innovation directly stemmed from research developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where professor Harry Steenbock patented a method for increasing Vitamin D content through ultraviolet irradiation. Schlitz applied this process to brewer's yeast, advertising that each can supplied 100 U.S.P. XI units of Vitamin D to promote health and vitality throughout the winter months.

Manufactured by the Continental Can Company under their "Cap-Sealed" line, the can graphic prominently highlights the sunshine formulation alongside the brewery's famous slogan, "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous." The can features a distinctive copper and gold metallic finish centered around the traditional Schlitz branding.

Collectors recognize variations of the can that reflect differences in manufacturing profiles—such as low-profile and high-profile designs—as well as different mandatory state alcohol statements, including versions printed with specific alcohol percentages. The vitamin-fortified marketing angle was only produced for a brief window during the late 1930s, leaving behind a memorable cross-section of early canning technology and mid-century health food marketing.