Colt 45 Malt Liquor 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

Colt 45 Miami Zip Tab Can

Introduced by The National Brewing Company in the spring of 1963, Colt 45 quickly grew into one of the most recognizable malt liquor labels in American brewing history. Developed to compete with early segment leaders like Country Club, the brand was marketed around a dynamic visual identity featuring a kicking stallion framed by a horseshoe emblem.

To meet rising demand, National Brewing Company expanded production beyond its flagship Baltimore location by operating regional plants, including a facility in Miami, Florida. Cans bearing the Miami brewery mandatory line represent a specific geographic branch of the company's manufacturing footprint during this era.

Colt 45 carries several notable connections to sports and popular culture. Pabst, which eventually acquired the brand, notes that Colt 45 was named in honor of Baltimore Colts running back Jerry Hill, who wore jersey number 45. The brand later cemented its place in advertising history through major celebrity promotional campaigns.

For breweriana enthusiasts, examples produced at the Miami brewery document National Brewing Company's southern distribution network. Variations exist across the brand's early canning run, featuring subtle changes in metallic backgrounds, legal text formatting, and multi-city plant listings.