Vintage 1950s Schlitz Beer Take Home Double-sided Masonite Advertising Sign

Description: Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE They say that a Milwaukee man was on a road trip when he stopped one night at a tavern in a small Montana town. When he asked the bartender if they had Schlitz, the bartender chuckled and said, “Son, this is Montana—we only serve beers that can handle our cold winters.” Undeterred, the man pulled out a six-pack of Schlitz from his bag. “This,” he declared, “is the beer that made Milwaukee famous! Besides, have you ever been to Milwaukee in January?” The bartender raised an eyebrow, popped open a can, and took a sip. After a thoughtful pause, he nodded. “Not bad. Tastes like it could handle Montana just fine.” He grabbed another Schlitz can, put it on the highest shelf behind his bar, and said, “We’ll call it the fancy beer for when the mayor or my wife comes in.” Schlitz was the "the Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous" from 1858 to 1982 and one of the city's top-selling brands with Blatz, Miller, Pabst and Gettelman. Schlitz was best known for forcing neighborhood saloon keepers to buy their beer (can you say monopoly?) in the late 19th century. In turn, they sold huge 20-ounce schooners of the stuff for a nickel each, morning, noon, and night, to men, women, and children. In fact, the brewery even built several dozen “tied houses” in places like Chicago, as they were called, where only Schlitz could be sold. How else could you keep the alcoholics you had so carefully nurtured buying your cheaply made beer? To rebuild their alcoholic clientele after Prohibition, Schlitz, Miller, Budweiser, and other large-scale heritage brewers turned to a variety of advertising platforms, from magazine and newspapers to radio, TV, and sponsorships of athletic teams and events. The hope was that a new generation of addicted beer drinkers would develop a preference for their brand and buy it by the glass, bottle, can, bucket, case, or barrel night after night after night. This Masonite sign was meant to be used as part of a liquor store or beer depot display during the 1950s. That was when the heritage brewers were intent on weening their customers from taverns to drinking large quantities of beer at home, preferably in front of a television screen. The sign, which measures 15 x 14 inches (38 x 37 cm), has two holes at the bottom and was attached to metal display stands that mostly held sixpacks, but could also hold entire cases. The double-sided screen-printed sign has some light scratching on both sides from actual use but has all its original paint and gloss. One small-sized chip on one side (visible in the photograph) but no other serious visible damage and only the smallest flea bites in a couple of places. This is a classic piece of mid-century breweriana, one of the few examples of the use of Masonite rather than plastic in mid-century beer advertising. Perfect for the Schlitz or heritage-beer collector, a classic man cave setting, or a splash of period advertising in a larger mid-century decor. Check out our store at www.ebay.com/str/agitpropshoppe for all of your beer-related and other advertising collectible needs. BC20016

Price: 61.87 USD

Location: Michigan

End Time: 2025-01-07T22:38:47.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10.99 USD