Schmidt Beer Flat Top Can

Schmidt Beer Scenic Wildlife Can

The Schmidt Beer Flat Top Can was produced in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by the Pfeiffer Brewing Company doing business as the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company. Following Pfeiffer's acquisition of the historic Jacob Schmidt brewery in 1954, the brand embraced a marketing strategy centered around regional outdoor life and hunting culture across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.

Design and Regional Heritage

This can is renowned for its detailed pictorial lithography featuring ring-necked pheasants in flight over a harvested cornfield, set against rolling hills and an open sky. Schmidt’s classic red-and-white shield logo sits above the landscape, while the bottom rim displays the brewery's longtime regional slogan: "The Brew that Grew with the Great Northwest."

Ring-necked pheasant hunting held deep cultural significance throughout the northern plains, making the imagery especially popular among sportsmen. The scenic presentation was part of an era of pictorial flat top cans that paved the way for Schmidt’s later, widespread wildlife and outdoor-themed series. Minor manufacturing and color tone variations exist among cans produced during this production run, reflecting different can manufacturer contracts.