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

James Bond's 007 Special Blend Can

The Can

This 12-ounce straight steel tab top can was issued in the late 1960s by The National Brewing Company. Part of a multi-design series celebrating British iconography, this variation bears a mandatory three-city brewery statement that includes Phoenix, Arizona. The front panel prominently displays the large stenciled "007" numeral over the slogan noting it as a malt liquor blended with premium beer. Graphically, the label showcases a woman set against a London backdrop featuring the Queen Victoria Memorial and the mounted Life Guards.

The Brand

Introduced around 1967–1968, James Bond's 007 Special Blend sought to capitalize on the cultural phenomenon of the British Invasion and the global popularity of Ian Fleming's secret agent films. Formulated as an innovative hybrid combining strong malt liquor with lager beer, the brand was marketed with sophisticated imagery of glamorous models and London landmarks. However, the product's lifespan was brief. National Brewing had rolled out the line without securing the official licensing rights from the Ian Fleming estate, prompting the brewery to rapidly pull the brand from distribution following its initial market rollout.

The Brewery

The National Brewing Company was originally founded in 1885 in Baltimore, Maryland. After surviving Prohibition through diversification, the brewery entered an aggressive era of modern expansion under the leadership of Jerold Hoffberger, popularizing flagship labels like National Bohemian and pioneering Colt 45 malt liquor. To build a national footprint, National acquired regional facilities across the country, including the former Arizona Brewing Company plant in Phoenix. In the mid-1970s, the company merged with Carling to form Carling-National Breweries, which was eventually absorbed by the G. Heileman Brewing Company.

Collecting Context

Due to its crossover appeal between breweriana collectors and pop culture enthusiasts, the James Bond 007 series remains one of the most celebrated tab top issues from the 1960s. The short-lived test marketing run and unauthorized branding provide an intriguing narrative, while the vivid full-color photo lithography makes it a centerpiece among mid-century malt liquor sets.