Excell Pale Beer Flat Top Can

Grace Bros. Excell Pale Beer Can

Dating from the opening-instruction era of the late 1930s, this 12-ounce flat top can represents a classic example of pre-World War II regional packaging. Cataloged among standard opening-instruction reference guides as design 250, this container bears an optional tax statement format and features a striking metallic finish. Notable visual details include the stylized "Excell" logo filled with fine vertical striping, the lower white banner carrying the flowing script slogan "The Beer of Quality," and the mandatory regulatory line reading "PERMIT CALIF. U-1114" above a bottom band advising consumers to cool the beverage before serving.

Excell Pale Beer was introduced by Grace Bros. as part of a post-Prohibition push to market affordable, quality packaged beers across California retail shelves. Promoted under "The Beer of Quality" banner, the label provided a refreshing, everyday pale lager that competed directly against rival regional offerings during the rise of packaged metal containers. As market dynamics shifted and product lines consolidated around core flagships in the post-war years, the Excell label was eventually phased out of production.

The Grace Brothers brewing legacy in Santa Rosa began in 1897 when brothers Frank P. and Joseph T. Grace acquired the former Santa Rosa Steam Brewery on Second Street. Although the original wooden structure burned down shortly after purchase, the brothers quickly rebuilt a sturdy brick facility that famously survived the catastrophic 1906 earthquake. Following a wartime closure in 1918 and the federal ban under Prohibition, the brewery reopened in 1933 and soon embraced canning technology in 1936. Grace Bros. expanded aggressively across California with operations reaching Los Angeles, Fresno, and Sacramento. In the face of intense post-war consolidation by national macro-breweries, the historic Santa Rosa brewing operation finally ceased operations in the late 1960s.

For vintage breweriana collectors, early West Coast flat tops from independent California breweries like Grace Bros. remain highly sought-after pieces of brewing history. This container serves as a standout artifact from the dawn of canned beer, combining early metallic lithography with the rich industrial heritage of Sonoma County brewing.