Mclab Eastern Premium Beer Beer Flat Top Can

McLab Eastern Premium Flat Top Can

Manufactured circa 1960, the McLab Eastern Premium Beer flat top can is a 12-ounce steel container produced by Drewry’s Ltd. of South Bend, Indiana. The design is distinguished by a decorative, looped scalloped frame enclosing the bold red "McLAB" logotype and blue "EASTERN PREMIUM BEER" lettering over a clean white background. Running vertically along the side is the standard "CONTENTS 12 FLUID OUNCES" declaration. Most strikingly, the lower half of the can displays framed portraits of two ornate vintage beer steins—one showcasing a sculpted figure against a red relief, and the other featuring scenic medallions on a cobalt-blue barrel body, both completed with detailed pewter lids and handles.

McLab was introduced around 1959 as part of a coordinated lineup of secondary, distributor-focused brands carrying the "Eastern Premium" moniker, which also included labels such as Cold Brau, Golden Stein, and Skol. Drewry’s positioned these offerings to compete directly in the value and regional distribution segments, relying on old-world German stein imagery to project traditional brewing heritage at an affordable price point. As market pressures grew and product lines were consolidated in the early to mid-1960s, Drewry’s discontinued the short-lived McLab brand.

The origins of Drewry’s in South Bend date back to 1852, when Christopher Muessel established the Muessel Brewing Company on Elmwood Avenue. Operated by Muessel’s descendants, the brewery flourished until nationwide Prohibition forced its closure in 1920. In 1936, the property was revived and chartered as Drewrys Ltd., U.S.A., utilizing the Canadian brand identity to build a Midwestern regional powerhouse. Producing hundreds of thousands of barrels annually during its peak, Drewrys expanded through acquisitions of operations such as Chicago's Atlas Brewing. Facing intense pressure from national macro-breweries, Drewrys merged into the Associated Brewing Company conglomerate during the 1960s, but the historic South Bend brewery ultimately closed its doors in 1972.

Among vintage can enthusiasts, this flat top can holds lasting appeal due to its graphic subject matter. The vivid illustrations of antique drinking vessels give it strong crossover appeal between flat top can collectors and collectors of antique beer steins. It remains an evocative artifact of post-war contract canning and mid-century regional brewery marketing.