Regal Extra Special Ale Flat Top Can

Regal Extra Special Ale Flat Top

The Regal Extra Special Ale flat top can is a mid-century 12-ounce steel can dating to the late 1950s. The design features a bold diagonal banner housing the Regal nameplate beneath a stylized crown emblem, with "Extra Special Ale" displayed in contrasting lettering below. Mandatory manufacturing text across the rim and bottom confirms that the ale was brewed and canned by Anheuser-Busch at its Miami, Florida facility, reflecting a distinct and short-lived chapter in regional canning history.

The Regal brand was originally established by the American Brewing Company, which famously popularized the moniker as "lager" spelled backwards. In the decades following the repeal of Prohibition, Regal established a dominant regional footprint across the American South and Florida. Positioned as a crisp, flavorful regional staple, Regal produced both lagers and ales, marketing them heavily through billboards, local sponsorships, and regional advertising campaigns. While Regal Beer served as the brewery's primary volume driver, Regal Extra Special Ale was positioned as a robust top-fermented alternative designed for consumers seeking a richer brew.

The history behind this specific can stems from Anheuser-Busch’s purchase of the American Brewing Company plant in Miami in 1958. The facility originally opened in the 1930s under the Wagner Brewing Company before joining the American Brewing network. Seeking immediate production capacity in Florida to distribute Budweiser without heavy freight costs, Anheuser-Busch acquired the site and briefly continued canning the existing Regal portfolio. However, the United States Department of Justice challenged the acquisition on antitrust grounds, claiming the purchase would monopolize regional beer distribution. Under federal court supervision, Anheuser-Busch was required to continue producing and marketing the Regal label before ultimately divesting the plant to Baltimore’s National Brewing Company.

For breweriana enthusiasts, this can occupies a significant niche bridging regional brewing history and corporate antitrust litigation. Because Anheuser-Busch produced the Regal brand only during this contested transition period, cans bearing the Anheuser-Busch mandatory text from Miami are prized by collectors specializing in Florida breweriana and Anheuser-Busch off-brand oddities.