One Thousand Natural Process Beer Flat Top Can

Gettelman $1000 Beer Flat Top

This 12-ounce flat top can dates to the 1950s and represents a distinct design variation characterized by a prominent, larger "Gettelman" script paired with metallic gold bands framing the top and bottom borders. The front face features an arched banner displaying "$1000" positioned above a circular red medallion that illustrates a hand holding a foaming pilsner glass with the motto "Pure Malt and Hops" encircled by a harvest wreath. Across the lower section, block lettering highlights the beverage as "Natural Process Lager," anchored along the lower rim by the mandatory statement noting it was brewed and filled by A. Gettelman.

The Brand

The "$1000 Beer" brand was originally introduced in 1891 as part of an aggressive quality guarantee conceived by brewery leadership. Gettelman offered a standing $1,000 reward to any chemist or consumer who could prove that the beer was brewed with any cereal adjuncts or substitutes rather than pure barley malt, hops, and water. This purity challenge became the cornerstone of the company's identity, allowing the flagship brand to stand out in the crowded upper Midwest market for several decades alongside its sister label, Milwaukee's Best.

The Brewery

The A. Gettelman Brewing Company originated in 1856 when George Schweickhart founded the Menomonee Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Adam Gettelman joined as an apprentice, became a business partner in 1871, and assumed sole ownership in 1876, incorporating the enterprise under his own name. Situated along the Menomonee River Valley, Gettelman was the smallest of Milwaukee's celebrated "Big Five" industrial breweries alongside Miller, Pabst, Schlitz, and Blatz. The brewery survived Prohibition through diversification, manufacturing near beer, agricultural machinery, and steel snowplows. In the post-repeal era, the family pioneered the use of stainless steel kegs and embraced modern packaging methods. Gettelman remained family-owned until 1961, when it was acquired by neighboring Miller Brewing Company.

Collecting Context

For breweriana enthusiasts, this can serves as an enduring artifact from Milwaukee's golden age of brewing. The audacious monetary purity pledge and mid-century graphic design make Gettelman flat tops highly sought after by collectors specializing in Wisconsin brewing history and vintage advertising themes.