Regal Select Light Beer 16 Oz Tab Top Can

Maier Regal Select 16 oz Tab Top

This 16-ounce straight steel tab top container represents a classic example of late-1960s West Coast supermarket marketing. Finished with an enamel coating, this half-quart can features a prominent, factory-printed promotional banner proclaiming "6 for $1.29" across the upper geometric diamond pattern. Along the upper gold rim, the can displays part of the brand's famous slogan, "Recognized as One of America's [Two Great Beers]". The visual presentation centers on interlocking red and blue oval emblems bordered by gold accents, all set against a stylized gold crowned lion rampant.

Regal Select trace its heritage to San Francisco's Regal Pale Brewing Company. Following the closure of the northern California facility, the brand was acquired by Maier Brewing Company, which repositioned it to compete aggressively in the discount retail space across California and neighboring states. The brand gained widespread recognition through humorous, memorable advertising campaigns—most notably asserting that Regal Select was "One of America's Two Great Beers," cheekily inviting consumers to decide for themselves what the other great beer was.

The can was produced by the Maier Brewing Company, situated on Commercial Street in downtown Los Angeles. The facility traces its roots to 1874 as the Philadelphia Brewery, later becoming Maier & Zobelein in 1882 and Maier Brewing Company in 1907. The company weathered Prohibition despite a high-profile federal raid on its premises in 1932, subsequently re-establishing itself as a dominant regional brewer in Southern California. Known for its value-priced offerings such as Brew 102 alongside extensive private-label canning, Maier held its ground against national competitors for decades before being purchased by General Brewing Company in 1971, with the historic downtown Los Angeles plant ceasing operations shortly thereafter.

Within the collector community, oversized 16-ounce "tall boy" or half-quart tab tops form a dedicated collecting focus. Examples bearing printed factory price promotions are particularly sought after as vivid artifacts of mid-century grocery price competition and regional brewing culture.