Point Bicentennial Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Point Bicentennial Beer Tab Top

This 12-ounce straight steel tab top can was issued by the Stevens Point Brewery to commemorate the 1976 United States Bicentennial. Styled in a vibrant patriotic motif, the label features a prominent American bald eagle clutching arrows and olive branches behind a starred-and-striped shield, perched above the diagonal blue brand ribbon that reads "Point" over "BICENTENNIAL BEER." A notable circular emblem placed on the lower right emphasizes local civic pride alongside the national milestone, incorporating the 1939 official city flag of Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

The Point name has long anchored the identity of this central Wisconsin brewery. Anchored by its flagship Point Special lager, the brand maintained an intensely loyal following by focusing its marketing and distribution close to home, famously prioritizing its regional footprint over broad national expansion. During the mid-1970s, as Americana gained massive cultural momentum leading up to 1976, the brewer adapted its familiar trade dress into this commemorative edition, appealing to hometown customers and visitors alike.

Founded in 1857 by Frank Wahle and George Ruder, the Stevens Point Brewery stands among the oldest continuously operating brewing operations in the United States. The brewery provided beer to Union troops during the Civil War and weathered Prohibition by producing non-alcoholic near beer and bottled sodas. As industry consolidation in the post-war decades drove hundreds of independent local breweries out of business, Stevens Point survived on fierce hometown loyalty and steady regional demand. In modern times, the brewery has expanded its portfolio with craft beers, hard ciders, and gourmet sodas while maintaining its historic facility.

For breweriana collectors, Bicentennial cans represent a standout theme from the pull-tab era. While many breweries across the country released patriotic packaging for the nation's two-hundredth anniversary, regional examples like this one from Stevens Point remain especially prized for their bold graphic artwork and enduring connection to classic Midwestern brewing history.