Schmidt's Select Cer. Bev. Cone Top Can

Schmidt's Select Cereal Beverage Can

Schmidt’s Select Cereal Beverage was packaged in a 12-ounce high-profile cone top can produced for the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. As a non-intoxicating malt drink, the can carries the statutory alcohol statement indicating less than one-half of one percent alcohol by volume ("1/2 of one %"). The label prominently features the circular Schmidt star emblem above a deep red oval with "Schmidt's Select," underscored by delicate hop vine artwork and the formal designation "A Cereal Beverage".

The Schmidt's Select brand originated as part of the brewery's low-alcohol and near-beer product lineup, formulated to provide the malt body and character of a traditional lager while complying with strict non-alcoholic standards. Marketed across the Upper Midwest, the brand leveraged the trusted Schmidt brewing name to appeal to consumers seeking a non-intoxicating option, allowing the brewery to maintain distribution in dry municipalities, soda fountains, and restricted retail channels.

The Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company traces its heritage back to Christopher Stahlmann’s 1855 Cave Brewery in St. Paul. Bavarian-born brewmaster Jacob Schmidt, previously the master brewer at Theodore Hamm's, established the operation at the West 7th Street site in 1900, developing the facility into an iconic castle-style brewhouse. The brewery survived the Prohibition era by manufacturing malt syrups, soft drinks, and near beers, allowing it to quickly resume large-scale brewing after repeal. Schmidt grew into one of the Upper Midwest's premier regional brewers before being sold in 1954 to the Pfeiffer Brewing Company of Detroit.

Cereal beverage cone tops hold a distinctive place in vintage breweriana. Because low-alcohol products were manufactured in considerably smaller volumes than standard commercial lagers, these cans offer cone top enthusiasts and Midwestern regional collectors an intriguing window into mid-century beverage regulation and packaging design.