Highlander Beer Flat Top Can

Missoula's Highlander Flat Top Can

The Highlander Beer flat top can represents a celebrated piece of Pacific Northwest and Big Sky brewing history from the Missoula Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana. The Highlander brand holds an origin story tracing back to 1910, when brewery leadership reportedly received permission to use the name from the New York Highlanders baseball club shortly before they became the New York Yankees.

For breweriana enthusiasts, this flat top can holds special regional significance. The brand was famously immortalized in American literature by Norman Maclean in his classic novella A River Runs Through It, where he recalled cooling cans and bottles of Highlander Beer directly in the cold waters of the Blackfoot River.

Throughout its production by Missoula Brewing Company (including periods when the facility operated under the Sick's brewing network), the Highlander flat top can saw notable graphic variations. Collectors recognize variations distinguished by background finishes ranging from metallic to white enamel, as well as subtle differences in the lettering shadows and mandatory text markings. Cans from this era were primarily manufactured by the Continental Can Company. Today, the Highlander flat top remains a staple acquisition for collectors specializing in Montana breweries, regional Western labels, and mid-century graphic design.