Heileman's Special Export Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Special Export 12 Oz Tab Top Can

The Heileman's Special Export Beer 12 oz tab top can represents one of the most recognizable packaging designs issued by the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Positioned by the brewery as a super-premium offering to rival leading national labels, Special Export stood out on retail shelves with its distinctive forest green, gold, and white color scheme.

Design and Collector Details

The graphics of this can highlight Heileman's traditional export branding, featuring prominent typography for "Special Export Beer" set against its classic deep green backdrop, complemented by crest motifs and sailing vessel imagery. The layout was engineered to present a refined, upscale image that distinguished the label from standard domestic offerings. The can body also incorporates historical brewery markings and notations celebrating the company's Upper Midwest heritage, prominently featuring the La Crosse, Wisconsin brewing origin.

Production and Variations

Manufactured across multiple canning runs during the tab top era, this can features subtle variations recognized among breweriana collectors. Known variations display minor shifts in legal mandatory text, differences in graphic alignments, top-lid rim stamping, and manufacturing plant codes. Examples were produced on both aluminum and steel bodies depending on the manufacturing facility used to supply Heileman's expanding regional distribution footprint.

As G. Heileman expanded throughout the Midwest and nationally, packaging for flagship brands like Special Export captured a key era of American brewing growth while maintaining the heritage of the La Crosse brewery.