Gettelman Milwaukee Beer Flat Top Can

Gettelman Milwaukee Beer Fishing Can

This mid-century flat top container is part of a celebrated pictorial series produced for Gettelman Milwaukee Beer. Designed to capture the spirit of outdoor recreation, the label illustrates a detailed fishing scene featuring an angler in waders fighting a leaping sportfish amid swimming fish, pine forests, and deer grazing in the background. Prominently placed near the top of the scenic panel is the brewery’s classic trademark emblem showing a hand holding aloft a filled beer glass surrounded by a golden laurel wreath.

Introduced to offer a lighter, modern alternative in the competitive post-war lager market, Gettelman Milwaukee Beer was marketed heavily through regional sporting and outdoor associations. The company frequently emphasized craftsmanship and natural ingredients, backed by memorable slogans and promotional tie-ins, including sportsman manuals and televised local athletics broadcasts. The pictorial cans were released in various colored backgrounds as part of a seasonal push that gave the brand a lively presence on store shelves.

The A. Gettelman Brewing Company traced its origins to 1856 in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, initially established as the Menomonee Brewery by George Schweickhart. Adam Gettelman joined the operation in 1871 and assumed full ownership in 1876, establishing the brewery as an enduring family enterprise. Known as the smallest member of Milwaukee's famed "Big Five"—alongside Schlitz, Pabst, Blatz, and Miller—Gettelman punched well above its weight through technical and commercial innovation. After navigating Prohibition through non-alcoholic products and unrelated manufacturing ventures, brewery president Frederick "Fritz" Gettelman pioneered early steel beer barrels and consulted with can manufacturers on early canning technology. Independent operations came to an end in 1961 when the company was acquired by its neighboring rival, the Miller Brewing Company.

Mid-century graphic cans featuring scenic outdoor vignettes remain perennial favorites among breweriana enthusiasts. This Gettelman fishing design is especially admired by set builders and collectors of vintage Wisconsin brewing history for its dynamic mid-century illustration style and its connection to Milwaukee’s historic brewing landscape.