Regal Select Beer 12 Oz Insert Top Can

Maier's Regal Select 6 for 99¢ Can

Manufactured from straight steel using a glued seam—evidenced by the vertical blue glued seam lines running along the can body—this 12-ounce container features an insert top from the late 1960s. The front face is dominated by bold retail-oriented marketing, most notably the blue script advertising "6 for 99¢" across the upper portion of the label. Encircling the upper rim is the brand's long-running slogan, "RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF AMERICA'S TWO GREAT BEERS," while the lower margin bears the statement "NET CONTENTS 12 FLUID OUNCES." Flanked by stylized, crowned heraldic lions against a diamond pattern, interlocking blue and red cartouches showcase the Regal Select lettering above the word "BEER" in block print.

The Regal moniker originated with the Regal Amber Brewing Company of San Francisco, a prominent Northern California brewer celebrated for its mid-century lagers. Following Regal Amber's closure in the early 1960s, brewery magnate Paul Kalmanovitz acquired the brand rights and shifted production to other facilities under his control. Repositioned as an aggressively priced discount beer, Regal Select was pushed heavily through supermarket six-pack promotions. The on-can price point served as an immediate draw for bargain-hunting consumers across California and Nevada. Over time, the label transitioned under the umbrella of General Brewing Company before fading from distribution.

Maier Brewing Company was established in Los Angeles in 1875 by German immigrant Joseph Maier and his partner George Zobelein, originally operating as the Philadelphia Brewery. After surviving Prohibition through the production of legal near-beer and non-alcoholic malt beverages, Maier resumed brewing in Southern California. In 1958, Paul Kalmanovitz purchased the brewery, turning it into a center for budget brands, contract packaging, and regional staples like Brew 102. Maier's downtown Los Angeles facility operated until the early 1970s, when production shifted to other brewing hubs in the West.

This can appeals to West Coast breweriana collectors because it documents the intense price-war era of California brewing in the late 1960s. The direct printing of the retail price onto the body label, combined with transitional packaging technology like glued seams and insert tops, makes it a noteworthy example of mid-century supermarket beer merchandising.