4077th M*a*s*h Premium Quality Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Pearl's 4077th MAS*H Beer Can

This 12-ounce aluminum tab top can represents one of the most recognizable pop-culture tie-ins in twentieth-century breweriana. Produced in the early 1980s, the container features dual liquid volume measurements in ounces and milliliters alongside a Universal Product Code (UPC). The label graphics prominently showcase a military camouflage pattern bordered in yellow bands, overlaid with the show's iconic stenciled lettering. The base of the face explicitly credits the official licensing with the line "T.M. TRADEMARK TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORP."

The Brand

Capitalizing on the immense popularity of the long-running television dramedy M*A*S*H, which aired from 1972 through 1983, 4077th M*A*S*H Beer was marketed as a themed novelty beverage for fans of the show. Positioned as a "Premium Quality" American lager, the brand relied heavily on the cultural cachet of the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. The packaging directly echoed the military aesthetic of the series, turning a consumable canned beverage into an instant souvenir. Like many commemorative and television-licensed brews of the late 1970s and 1980s, the brand enjoyed a limited commercial run before being discontinued after the show concluded its historic broadcast run.

The Brewery

The can was produced by the Pearl Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas. Established in 1883 as the J.B. Behloradsky Brewery and soon reorganized as the San Antonio Brewing Association, the company grew into one of the largest brewing operations in Texas. It successfully survived Prohibition by converting facilities to produce near-beer, soft drinks, and food products under the name Alamo Foods Company. Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the brewery resumed full production and officially adopted the Pearl Brewing Company name in 1952. Over the subsequent decades, Pearl expanded through acquisitions and contract brewing, eventually joining the Pabst corporate family before the historic San Antonio brewing complex ceased operation in 2001.

Collecting Context

Cans in this category sit at the crossroads of television memorabilia and breweriana. Novelty and licensed cans from the late twentieth century hold special appeal for collectors who focus on entertainment crossovers, military-themed packaging, and prominent regional contract brewing history.