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 a defining era of packaging from the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Marketed as a super-premium offering alongside the company's flagship Old Style label, Special Export was positioned to compete directly against high-end national and imported lagers with its European-inspired imagery.

Design and Iconography

The can is distinguished by its deep green background, a bold aesthetic choice that earned the brand its famous regional nickname, "The Green Death," across the Upper Midwest. The centerpiece of the design is an ornate illustration of a classic tall sailing ship, created to evoke old-world maritime trade and premium brewing heritage. Surrounding the central crest, the label features intricate filigree, gothic typography, and prominent notations referencing Heileman's traditional "Fully Kraeusened" brewing methodology.

Production and Variations

Manufactured during a period of major distribution expansion for the La Crosse brewery, the 12 oz can exists in multiple variations sought by breweriana collectors. Production runs display noticeable differences, such as slight shifts in the gold scrollwork framing the ship emblem, adjustments to mandatory canning text, seam variations, and alternate brewery location listings on the side panels.

Collector Significance

As a prominent artifact of Wisconsin's post-war brewing landscape, the Special Export tab top can serves as a lasting tribute to G. Heileman's marketing efforts to elevate regional beer into a nationally recognized luxury label. It remains a staple centerpiece for collectors specializing in Upper Midwest breweriana and classic American lager packaging.