Milwaukee's Best Beer Flat Top Can

Milwaukee's Best Flat Top History

The Milwaukee's Best Beer flat top can is a prominent piece of mid-century Wisconsin breweriana, originating from the historic A. Gettelman Brewing Company in Milwaukee. Gettelman was recognized as the smallest of the iconic "Big Five" breweries that defined the city's industrial brewing identity, operating alongside Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz, and Miller.

Although Gettelman first introduced the Milwaukee's Best brand name in 1895 as a local offering, its appearance on flat top cans preserves the final decades of the brewery's family-owned independence. Gettelman was acquired by neighboring Miller Brewing Company in 1961. Following the buyout, Miller eventually rebranded and took the Milwaukee's Best label to a national market, making original cans bearing the A. Gettelman Brewing Company imprint representative of the brand's local heritage.

Collectors recognize variations of this flat top can across production runs, reflecting subtle design shifts in statutory text, mandatory statements, and canning manufacturer markings. Cans bearing the original Gettelman name remain cornerstone artifacts for collectors documenting Milwaukee's historic Menomonee Valley brewing legacy.