Champagne Velvet Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Pickett's Champagne Velvet Can

The Champagne Velvet Beer 12 oz tab top can represents a notable chapter in Midwestern brewing history, tying a legendary regional brand to the historic brewery in Dubuque, Iowa. Originally conceived in Indiana by the Terre Haute Brewing Company, the Champagne Velvet label transitioned through several owners over the decades. In the early 1970s, veteran brewmaster Joseph S. Pickett Sr.—a former professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers who transitioned into the brewing trade—acquired the rights to the Champagne Velvet and Edelweiss brand names from the G. Heileman Brewing Company.

Pickett produced Champagne Velvet out of the former Dubuque Star Brewing Company facility along the Mississippi River under the company name Jos. S. Pickett & Sons, Inc. During this era, Pickett operated as Iowa's only active brewmaster, keeping classic heritage names in regional distribution alongside proprietary labels.

The can features the traditional Champagne Velvet branding, crown graphic accents, and the distinct Jos. S. Pickett & Sons, Inc. Dubuque, Iowa mandatory text. For breweriana enthusiasts, this can serves as a classic artifact of the 1970s era of contract and regional brewing consolidation. Production variations exist across different manufacturing runs, showcasing subtle differences in mandatory text arrangement, seam fabrication, and lid construction.