Fitger's Rex Imperial Dry Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Fitger's Rex Imperial Dry Tab Top Can

The Fitger's Rex Imperial Dry Beer 12-ounce tab top can represents the straight steel pull-tab generation of one of the Upper Midwest's most celebrated regional brewing houses. Set against a yellow-gold background centered around an illuminated white aura, the can is anchored by an elaborate royal crest topped with a red-and-gold coronet and flanked by ornate scrolling acanthus leaves. Inside the tri-part shield, the white "Fitger's" nameplate sits above a bold diagonal black band highlighting the stylized, gold-bordered "Rex" script, while "BEER" rests in the bottom red wedge. Below the shield, the designation "IMPERIAL DRY" appears in clean serif lettering above the volume declaration. The mandatory text along the seam credits the Fitger Brewing Company of Duluth, Minnesota, dating this straight steel container to the brewery's active canning operations during the 1960s.

The Rex brand served for decades as a centerpiece of Fitger’s brewing identity. Drawing from the Latin word for king, the name naturally paired with royal insignia and regal heraldry across bottles, cone tops, and flat tops before migrating to tab tops. Marketed as an imperial dry beer, the brew was promoted for its crisp drinkability and full-bodied malt balance, finding an enthusiastic following among miners, dockworkers, and residents across northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Although the Rex moniker was later revived under contract brewing arrangements, cans bearing the Duluth brewery line represent the label produced at its original home facility.

Fitger's originated in 1857, when entrepreneur Sidney Luce constructed Duluth's first commercial brewery alongside Brewery Creek. In 1881, Michael Fink acquired the site and hired August Fitger, a classically trained German brewmaster. Fitger soon bought into the enterprise, eventually giving his name to the sprawling brick complex overlooking Lake Superior. The company survived Prohibition through agile diversification, manufacturing soda, near-beer, and candy bars. Following the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, Fitger's expanded into modern packaging formats and remained a cornerstone employer in the Twin Ports. However, intensifying distribution pressure and advertising budgets from national brewing giants forced the Duluth brewery to permanently end production in 1972.

For collectors of Minnesota and Great Lakes breweriana, Fitger's cans hold enduring historical appeal. The Rex label serves as a quintessential artifact of independent Upper Midwest brewing heritage and an evocative example of mid-century heraldic can art.