Rheingold Extra Dry Lager Beer Flat Top Can

Miss Rheingold: Margie McNally

Brewed by Liebmann Breweries in New York, New York, this flat top can is an artifact from one of the most famous advertising campaigns in American brewing history. Beginning in 1940, Liebmann launched the annual Miss Rheingold pageant, an immensely popular promotional contest where the public voted for the face of the brand for the upcoming year. By the 1950s, the competition had grown into a major cultural phenomenon throughout the New York metropolitan area, drawing millions of ballots cast in taverns, delis, and grocery stores.

To promote the election, Liebmann featured portrait photographs and illustrations of the finalists directly on their beer cans. This can features Margie McNally, a Queens native and professional model who appeared on numerous magazine covers. McNally competed as a finalist and went on to win the election to become Miss Rheingold 1957, serving as the brewery's primary promotional ambassador throughout that year across print ads, television spots, and public appearances. Later in life, she became a prominent philanthropist and co-founded the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles alongside her husband, publishing magnate Robert E. Petersen.

Cans from the Miss Rheingold series are prized among breweriana enthusiasts for their distinctive crossover appeal, combining mid-century portraiture, advertising history, and classic New York brewing heritage. Variations exist across the series depending on the brewery location, mandatory text formatting, and the candidate featured.