Schmidt Beer Flat Top Can

The Brew That Grew With the Northwest

Produced by the historic Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, this 12-ounce flat top can represents one of the Upper Midwest's most celebrated regional breweriana series. Operating out of its landmark castle-style brewhouse along West Seventh Street, the Schmidt brewery built a loyal following across the region by intertwining its brand identity with the rugged landscapes, wildlife, and sporting heritage of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains.

The Scenic Outdoor Series

Schmidt gained widespread collector renown through its long-running pictorial packaging campaigns, which featured wrap-around natural scenes rather than simple corporate emblems. The label artwork on this release captures the transitional frontier landscape of the Great Northwest: in the foreground, American bison graze along a sunlit stream amidst golden prairie grasses, while in the background across the water, dairy cattle graze in a pasture near a traditional white barn and silo. This dynamic juxtaposition illustrated the growth and development of the region from wild frontier to thriving agricultural heartland.

Directly supporting the artwork is the brand’s famous marketing slogan running along the bottom rim: "The Brew that Grew with the Great Northwest". Positioned over the expansive sky above the illustration sits the prominent red-and-gold Jacob Schmidt cartouche with white bold serif lettering.

Production & Collecting Context

During this era, Jacob Schmidt utilized prominent container manufacturers to supply their canning lines. Cans were produced with specialized interior protective linings to preserve the flavor profile of the brew. Multiple factory variations exist for this label design, differing across subtle elements such as mandatory brewery text statements, manufacturer trademarks, and slight shifts in the lithographic paint pigments applied across different production runs. Today, Schmidt scenic flat tops remain cornerstone pieces among collectors of Minnesota brewing history and mid-century outdoor-themed advertising.