Kessler Beer Cone Top Can

Kessler Beer Montana Cone Top

This 12-ounce high-profile cone top container represents the post-World War II packaging era for the Kessler Brewing Company of Helena, Montana. Manufactured by the Continental Can Company, this variation is distinguished by the mandatory statement "ALCOHOL NOT OVER 4% BY WEIGHT" printed along the upper blue field to comply with state alcohol control regulations of the period. The face prominently features the company's circular trademark crest, highlighting the 1865 establishment date and the initials "N.K." for founder Nickolas Kessler.

Marketed as a regional staple across the Treasure State, Kessler Beer emphasized purity and local craftsmanship throughout its mid-century advertising. The lower band displays the brand's signature slogan, "Brewed From Mountain Spring Water," rendered in stylized script. Kessler consistently highlighted its pure mountain water source—drawn from natural springs on the western edge of Helena—as the cornerstone of the brew's clean flavor profile. The brand maintained strong loyalty throughout Montana and neighboring territories until the mid-20th century.

The brewery traces its roots to 1865 when Charles Beeher founded the Ten Mile Brewery. In 1868, Luxembourg-born entrepreneur Nickolas Kessler bought out Beeher and steadily expanded the facility, simultaneously running a successful brickyard nearby that helped construct much of historic Helena. Following Kessler's passing and the long shutdown of national Prohibition, the brewery reopened in 1933 under family leadership. Kessler Brewing Company successfully supplied the northern Rockies for decades before growing competition from massive national shipping breweries forced the historic Helena plant to close permanently in 1958.

Cans from independent Montana breweries remain highly sought after by regional and national breweriana enthusiasts. As a quintessential artifact from one of the state's most prominent pioneer breweries, this cone top serves as a prime representation of Montana's post-repeal brewing heritage.