James Bond's 007 Malt Liquor 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Unauthorized 007 Malt Liquor

During the peak of the 1960s spy craze, The National Brewing Company introduced James Bond's 007 Special Blend through its Western Division plant in Phoenix, Arizona. Designed to capitalize on the worldwide popularity of the suave British secret agent, the beverage was marketed as a distinctive hybrid of malt liquor blended with premium beer.

The Cease-and-Desist Recall

Despite the overt commercial tie-in to the famous fictional character, National Brewing rolled out the product without securing licensing permissions from the estate of 007 creator Ian Fleming. Facing swift legal resistance over intellectual property infringement, the brewery was compelled to halt distribution and immediately pull the product from store shelves. Because the brand was withdrawn almost as quickly as it arrived, surviving cans became legendary crossover items coveted by both breweriana enthusiasts and James Bond memorabilia collectors.

Label Artwork and Variations

The can's front panel embraces the cinematic mystique of the Bond franchise, spotlighting a stylized "Bond girl" set against a dusky silhouette of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in London. The lower portion carries the tagline "A MALT LIQUOR blended with PREMIUM BEER."

Across the short-lived production run, National produced variations depicting different London landmarks behind the featured models, as well as subtle phrasing differences in the blend description across various regional canning runs. Today, the Phoenix-brewed can stands as one of the most famous unauthorized pop-culture crossover pieces in American brewing history.