Northern Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Northern Beer Steel Tab Top Can

This twelve-ounce straight steel can dates to the 1970s, representing the period when the brand was packaged in Minnesota. The can highlights the slogan "It's Superior" in red script across the lower gold band, set beneath a central evergreen pine vignette and three red stars. Collectors document this exact can design across multiple closure configurations, having been manufactured with early pull tabs as well as later stay-on tabs as canning lines evolved during the era.

Northern Beer originally debuted in Superior, Wisconsin, produced by the Northern Brewing Company. The phrase "It's Superior" served a clever dual purpose, functioning both as a claim of brewing quality and as a direct tribute to the brand's home city on Lake Superior. The label enjoyed immense popularity in northern Wisconsin and the Twin Ports throughout the mid-twentieth century. However, quality control mishaps in the 1960s damaged consumer confidence and sent sales into decline, prompting the Superior brewery to cease operations in 1967. Cold Spring Brewing Company acquired the label and distribution network shortly thereafter, keeping the recognizable regional brand alive for Upper Midwest drinkers.

Cold Spring Brewing Company was established in 1874 in Cold Spring, Minnesota, drawing water from local natural springs that became central to its marketing and corporate identity. The company weathered Prohibition by turning to soft drinks, near beer, and bottling mineral water. After Repeal, Cold Spring persevered as an independent regional institution while many Midwestern competitors buckled under mid-century consolidation. By purchasing regional legacy trademarks—such as Northern and Gluek—alongside contract packaging agreements, the brewery remained active and resilient across decades of shifting beverage trends.

Upper Midwest cans from this era hold significant appeal for breweriana enthusiasts, particularly those representing cross-border industrial heritage. This can serves as an evocative artifact of brand survival, capturing a quintessential Wisconsin beer maintained and marketed by a classic Minnesota brewery.