Schmidt Select Cereal Beverage Near Beer Flat Top Can

Schmidt Select Flat Top Can

The Schmidt Select Cereal Beverage can was produced by the Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. Packaged as a near beer containing less than one-half of one percent alcohol by volume, Schmidt Select continued the regional brewing tradition of low-alcohol malt beverages originally popularized during Prohibition.

Label Graphics and Identification

The can features the prominent Schmidt brand identity alongside clear labeling identifying the contents as "A Cereal Beverage". Visually, the design showcases a two-tone color scheme pairing deep brown and cream accents with the traditional Schmidt emblem. In accordance with federal labeling regulations for non-alcoholic malt beverages, the can carries mandatory statements certifying that the product contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume and is non-taxable as fermented liquor under federal law.

Production and Collector Interest

• Can Manufacturing: Examples bear the American Can Company "Keglined" trademark oval, representing the standard container manufacturing methods of the era.
• Variations: Documented variations display subtle differences in mandatory fine print, legal wording, and corporate manufacturing designations as the Jacob Schmidt plant transitioned through regional brewing associations.
• Breweriana Significance: Non-alcoholic cereal beverage releases from major Upper Midwest brewers were produced in significantly smaller quantities than standard lagers, making near beer cans a distinct specialty among regional Minnesota breweriana collections.