Savoy Special Beer Flat Top Can

Chicago's Mid-Century Savoy Special

The Can

The Savoy Special Beer flat top can is a classic example of mid-1950s regional packaging from Illinois. Packaged in a standard 12-ounce container, the can is distinguished by its reflective metallic silver field accented with a fine textured dot pattern. The central visual element is a bold, pointed blue shield framing the brand name, featuring "Savoy" rendered in an Old English blackletter typeface paired with a flowing script for "Special" and clean block lettering for "BEER." Along the deep blue base band, the manufacturer is credited as The Atlantic Brewing Company of Chicago, Illinois.

The Brand

Savoy Special traces its lineage back to the post-Prohibition brewing landscape in Chicago. Originally produced under that label name earlier in the mid-twentieth century, the brand was marketed as a dependable, budget-friendly local lager. Atlantic Brewing packaged and distributed Savoy Special during the 1950s to broaden its portfolio of accessible beers. Like many localized brands of its era, Savoy Special provided a familiar, value-driven alternative to the heavily advertised national shipping beers, serving neighborhood taverns and grocery shelves across the Midwest before being phased out as the brewery restructured its product lines.

The Brewery

Atlantic Brewing Company operated from its facility at Fullerton and Bosworth Avenues on Chicago's North Side. Taking up operations under the Atlantic banner following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the plant had previously hosted breweries dating back to the late 19th century. Atlantic achieved widespread recognition for flagship offerings such as Tavern Pale and later produced regional contracts like Champagne Velvet. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the company remained a fixture of Chicago’s competitive brewing market, but mounting pressure from national mega-breweries and postwar market consolidation ultimately led to its closure in 1965.

Collecting Context

Chicago flat top cans hold a prominent place in American breweriana due to the city’s rich industrial brewing heritage. This metallic version of Savoy Special serves as a prime representation of mid-century graphic design and Atlantic Brewing's versatile catalog of regional labels.