Excell Lager Beer Flat Top Can

Mid-Century Excell Lager Flat Top

The Excell Lager Beer flat top can represents an intriguing chapter of Pacific Northwest brewing during the height of mid-century industry consolidation. Issued as a 12-ounce flat top steel container, the label features distinctive graphic elements, including a continuous band of red "X" motifs encircling the upper border and a prominent hourglass-shaped field filled with tight blue horizontal striping. The brand name "EXCELL" is boldly rendered across the center in red block lettering with a stylized outline, complemented by the "Lager Beer" designation scripted in red cursive below.

Excell was positioned as an approachable regional lager designed to satisfy everyday consumer demand in taverns and grocery outlets across the Inland Empire. In the post-World War II brewing market, regional operators frequently deployed secondary and value-priced brand lines alongside their flagship labels to capture broader shelf space and appeal to varied price points. Excell delivered standard, refreshing American lager character packaged in convenient canned form during the peak years of flat top distribution.

The Spokane facility behind this can holds deep roots in local industrial history. Originating in the late nineteenth century under founder John G. F. Hieber, the brewery operated as Inland Brewing & Malting before surviving Prohibition through non-alcoholic products and reorganizing in 1933 as Bohemian Breweries, Inc. The operation prospered for years with its flagship Bohemian Club beer. In 1956, Chicago-based Atlantic Brewing Company acquired Bohemian Breweries in an aggressive consolidation strategy designed to build a broader regional footprint and rival expanding national giants. Atlantic utilized the Spokane plant to produce both longstanding local favorites and diversified labels before rising production costs and national competition forced the plant to close in the early 1960s.

Among breweriana collectors, this Excell flat top is appreciated as a snapshot of Washington State's brewing transition. Cans displaying the Spokane mandatory under Atlantic Brewing Company ownership highlight a transformative era when traditional regional breweries adapted to national ownership structures. Its strong geometric composition and vibrant mid-century typography make it a standout addition to collections focused on Pacific Northwest brewing history and vintage flat tops.