Maier Select Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Maier Select Beer Tab Top Can

The Can

This 12-ounce straight steel tab top container represents a 1970s release of Maier Select Beer. The label is framed by an all-over repeating geometric hop-leaf background pattern in red and white. Near the top sits a solid dark leaf emblem bearing the historic "SINCE 1875" statement, situated above the bold, diagonally scripted Maier brand name and capitalized "SELECT BEER" lettering. This specific production run is characterized by its wide seam construction and the abbreviated "CALIF." brewery mandatory statement.

The Brand

Maier Select was long marketed as an accessible, everyday regional lager across California and neighboring Western markets. The brand consistently highlighted its deep historical pedigree by promoting its late nineteenth-century founding year in its packaging and retail advertisements. Positioned as a dependable local value brand, Maier Select maintained widespread distribution in regional grocery chains and package stores for decades before industry shifts brought an end to the label.

The Brewery

The lineage behind the brand traces back to 1875 at the Philadelphia Brewery location on Commercial Street in downtown Los Angeles. In 1882, Joseph Maier partnered with George Zobelein to establish the Maier & Zobelein Brewery. Following the dissolution of their partnership in 1907, the enterprise was reorganized as the Maier Brewing Company. The brewery survived Prohibition by manufacturing near-beer and non-alcoholic beverages before resuming alcoholic production upon Repeal. In 1971, General Brewing Company purchased the historic downtown Los Angeles plant, running operations there until closing the venerable facility in 1974.

Collecting Context

For breweriana enthusiasts focused on California and West Coast brewing heritage, this can represents a significant historical artifact marking the closing chapter of large-scale commercial brewing in downtown Los Angeles. Collectors closely track the brand due to its storied regional roots and the subtle variations found in seam manufacturing and state mandatory text formatting across production runs.