Regal Extra Special Ale Flat Top Can

Miami's Regal Extra Special Ale Can

This 12-ounce flat top can represents a classic mid-1950s offering from Florida’s regional brewing era. Set against a metallic gold background, the front panel features a crowned lion head crest positioned above a bold dark green angular badge. The brand name appears in prominent white lettering accented by a distinctive curled tail on the letter "L," while the lower rim displays the marketing tagline, "EXTRA SPECIAL FOR EXTRA ENJOYMENT."

The Regal brand was the signature label of the American Brewing Company. Marketed to Southern consumers as an accessible yet premium choice, Regal Extra Special Ale was positioned as a full-bodied alternative to the company's flagship lager. Supported by extensive radio advertising, sports sponsorships, and vivid neon displays throughout Florida, the Regal line established strong regional recognition throughout the mid-20th century.

The roots of the brewery behind this can began in Miami shortly after the repeal of Prohibition with the opening of the Wagner Brewing Company in 1934. In the late 1930s, the New Orleans-based American Brewing Company acquired the Miami facility, incorporating it as the American Brewing Company of Miami and transitioning production to the Regal portfolio. The Miami plant operated under this banner until 1958, when the operation was acquired by Anheuser-Busch. Following federal antitrust intervention over market concentration, the facility was subsequently sold to Baltimore’s National Brewing Company, which continued regional packaging until the facility closed in 1974.

For collectors, this can serves as an evocative piece of South Florida’s mid-century brewing landscape. Because the plant experienced notable ownership transitions in the late 1950s, examples produced under the American Brewing Company label represent an important chapter for enthusiasts of Florida breweriana, independent regional brewers, and vintage graphic packaging.