Kings Cellar Premium Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Indiana Retailer Private-Label Can

This 12-ounce aluminum can represents an era of regional retailer-branded packaging produced during the late 20th century. Notably, the lower portion of the can includes dual metric and standard volume declarations (355 ml and 12 fl oz). The can was issued with tab tops, with both traditional pull-tab and stay-tab top variations documented across production runs. At the base, a dedicated text block features a personal message and printed signature from Robert C. Anderson, President of Kings Cellar, addressing selective beer drinkers and promising high standards.

Kings Cellar was a retail beverage chain operating across northern Indiana, with stores in communities such as South Bend, Mishawaka, and Elkhart. To provide an exclusive, direct-to-consumer house offering, the company commissioned its own proprietary lager label. The brand artwork prominently features King Gambrinus, the legendary folk king of brewing, crowned and raising a mug of beer, framed by an arched red banner and decorative hop vines.

The can identifies Great Lakes of Fort Wayne, Indiana, as the brewing entity. This production was tied to one of the city's most storied brewing facilities, originally established as the Berghoff Brewery in the late 19th century. After navigating Prohibition through non-alcoholic products and later reviving its brewing trade, the plant was acquired by the Falstaff Brewing Corporation in 1954. By the late 1970s and 1980s under General Brewing affiliation, the Fort Wayne plant regularly operated under alternate trade names such as Great Lakes Brewing Company to produce custom contract cans, supermarket and package store private labels, and specialty beers before the historic facility permanently closed in 1991.

For breweriana enthusiasts, this can serves as an engaging artifact of regional merchant history and contract packaging trends. House-label cans commissioned for independent regional retailers typically saw concentrated local distribution rather than nationwide reach, making the piece a sought-after entry for collectors interested in Indiana brewing heritage, trade-name can series, and royalty-themed label graphics.