Schaefer Beer Flat Top Can

Schaefer 1964–1965 World's Fair Flat Top

The World's Fair Promotional Can

This 12-ounce flat top can was issued by F. & M. Schaefer to promote the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair held in Flushing Meadows, Queens. The design incorporates Schaefer's distinctive repeating medallion pattern across the body, featuring the familiar red oval logo framed by wheat stalks. Notably, one of the gold circular medallions delivers a direct promotional invitation: "See you at Schaefer Center New York World's Fair 1964-1965". Other medallions highlight the brewery's heritage with phrases including "A Family Tradition for Two Centuries" and "Established in the United States 1842." The can features classic soldered side-seam steel flat top construction from the mid-1960s.

The Schaefer Brand

Established in New York City in 1842, Schaefer built its reputation as America's oldest continuously produced lager beer. During the mid-twentieth century, the brand enjoyed immense regional popularity throughout the northeastern United States. In the early 1960s, the company launched its iconic and enduring advertising slogan, "Schaefer is the one beer to have when you're having more than one," paired with an unforgettable jingle. Schaefer was positioned as an approachable, easy-drinking lager suited for social gatherings, sporting events, and major civic occasions like the World's Fair.

Brewery History

Brothers Frederick and Maximilian Schaefer founded the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company after emigrating from Germany. Originally brewing in Manhattan, the enterprise eventually moved to a large brewing complex along the East River in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Schaefer navigated Prohibition by manufacturing near beer, carbonated beverages, and artificial ice, positioning itself for immediate success upon repeal. In the post-war era, Schaefer expanded steadily, becoming one of the nation's top brewing companies by the 1960s. To sustain volume, the company acquired and built additional plants in New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. However, fierce national price wars and debt during the 1970s forced a sale to the Stroh Brewery Company in 1981, with brand rights eventually passing into the Pabst Brewing Company portfolio.

Collecting Context

Breweriana linked to world's fairs occupies a prized crossover niche, attracting collectors of general exposition memorabilia alongside beer can enthusiasts. Schaefer's pavilion at the 1964–1965 fair featured an expansive beer garden and modern fiberglass domes, making this commemorative flat top a desirable physical artifact from a milestone twentieth-century event.