King Turkey Beer 12 Oz Tab/Stay Top Can

Schell's King Turkey Commemorative Can

This twelve-ounce crimped steel can was produced as a commemorative issue featuring a stay-tab opening. Cataloging records originally grouped this design under a broader entry before distinguishing specific top configurations, noting the stay-tab variation while other pull-tab formats remained undocumented in standard references. The front display features bold red arching typography over a central circular medallion illustrating a turkey wearing a cowboy hat, underscored by the civic declaration identifying Worthington, Minnesota, as the "Turkey Capital of the World."

King Turkey Beer was introduced to celebrate King Turkey Day, an annual community festival held in southwestern Minnesota. The celebration began in the late 1930s to honor the region's prominent poultry industry and later gained national fame for the "Great Gobbler Gallop"—a live turkey race held against the rival turkey-producing town of Cuero, Texas. The cowboy hat worn by the turkey on the label playfully acknowledges this cross-country rivalry. Produced during the late 1970s and early 1980s festival era, the brand served as both a local celebratory beverage and a civic keepsake before being retired.

The beer was brewed and packaged by the August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota. Established in 1860 by German immigrant August Schell, the operation is the second-oldest family-owned brewery in the United States. Schell survived the dry years of Prohibition by manufacturing near-beer and ciders, and it withstood mid-century corporate consolidation by maintaining strong regional ties and contracting custom festival brews for upper Midwest communities.

Among breweriana enthusiasts, King Turkey Beer holds a dedicated following across multiple collecting disciplines. It appeals to collectors of August Schell memorabilia, regional Minnesota breweriana, and oddball civic festival cans. Its humorous mascot and direct connection to small-town folklore make it an enduring example of twentieth-century regional commemorative can art.