Schlitz's 16 oz. "Tall Boy" cans are returning to Kansas City at the end of the month -- a year after the beer re-entered the market in 12 oz. brown bottles.
The Schlitz brand is now owned by Pabst Brewing Co. and is once again brewed in Milwaukee. It's undergoing a revival, with a return to the recipe of the 1960s and retro packaging meant to remind people why they drank Schlitz in the first place.
"Kansas City has been a good market for us," says Director of Marketing Kyle Wortham. "We're happy
to be embraced by the city and bringing back Schlitz has been a lot of
fun."
Schlitz celebrates the return of the Tall Boy can with two parties tomorrow night, where the tallest boy and girl (literally) each win $160 -- $10 for each of the 16 ounces in the can. There will also be a can stacking contest with prizes at the Kross Lounge (605 N. Sterling Avenue, 5 to 7:30 p.m.) and Gusto Lounge (3810 Broadway, 8 to 11 p.m.).
"As beer has become lighter in flavor, you mind find Schlitz a little heartier," says Wortham.
But don't expect a flashy new ad campaign announcing its arrival. Wortham wants to focus on the guys who still tinker on old cars and want to have a beer on their back porch to unwind. Guys who might remember the days when you needed a churchkey to open a cold one.
"It's great to hear the war stories, literally and figuratively, about guys having their first Schlitz," says Wortham.
In addition to the brown bottle and the Tall Boy, Wortham says Schlitz is considering a reintroduction of the "Little Joe" -- a 7-oz. longneck. Unlike other ponies, this looks like a miniature longneck and not a snub-nosed bottle.
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It's disappointing that they used the return to the old recipe as an excuse to jack the price of the beer while spouting platitudes about working men. I feel a little used.
But these tallboys sure make me happy anyway.
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