Highlander Premium Beer Flat Top Can

Missoula's Tartan Classic

This 12-ounce flat top container showcases one of the most recognizable regional canning aesthetics of the 1950s. The design features bold red-and-black tartan plaid bands flanking the central white body, with the prominent cursive "Highlander" script and "PREMIUM BEER" block typography. Notable to this specific variation is the application of silver drop shadows beneath the primary branding script, a subtle graphic detail that distinguishes it within the catalog record. Along the upper border, the slogan "NONE FINER — ANYWHERE" appears, while the bottom border bears the mandatory credit statement naming the Missoula Brewing Company of Missoula, Montana.

The Highlander Brand

Highlander Beer originated around 1910 when brewery management reportedly secured permission to use the moniker from the New York Highlanders baseball team shortly before that club adopted the name New York Yankees. Positioned as Montana’s everyday premium brew, Highlander embraced Scottish heritage motifs, prominent plaid patterns, and catchy regional taglines, including "None Finer — Anywhere" and the jingle "Say HI for Highlander." The brand achieved widespread cultural renown across the Big Sky state, even earning literary immortality in Norman Maclean's classic novella, A River Runs Through It.

Missoula Brewing Company

The original Missoula Brewing Company was established in 1890 by Joseph Wagner in downtown Missoula before later operating from a prominent location near Rattlesnake Creek at the base of Waterworks Hill. After enduring the nationwide shutdown of Prohibition, the operation re-emerged and later operated for a period as Sick's Missoula Brewery before returning to its historic corporate name under local management in the late 1940s. Throughout the post-war era, Missoula Brewing stood as a pillar of Montana's independent brewing landscape. Increasing competition from large national shipping breweries throughout the 1950s and early 1960s eventually forced the historic facility to close its doors in 1964.

Collecting Context

Flat tops from Montana and the Northern Rockies occupy a passionate niche among breweriana enthusiasts due to the relatively small number of packaging breweries operating in the region during the mid-20th century. Highlander's striking Scottish tartan graphics and regional popularity have made these flat top variants enduring favorites among Pacific Northwest and Western state collectors.