Sebewaing Beer Flat Top Can

Sebewaing Beer Flat Top Can

This 12-ounce flat top can represents Sebewaing Beer, produced by the Sebewaing Brewing Company of Sebewaing, Michigan. A notable visual and textual detail on the label is the phonetic pronunciation guide tucked beneath the brand script—"SAY CBWING"—designed to help consumers unfamiliar with the Native American name of the small Michigan town. The face of the can also highlights the brand's heritage with an acorn emblem marked "SINCE 1880" and the slogan "Brewed with Deep Rock Well Water," advertising the deep-well water source the brewery utilized.

Sebewaing Beer was the flagship product of the brewery, positioned as a regional staple throughout Michigan's "Thumb" area. The prominent ring-necked pheasant in flight connected the brand directly to the region's widespread reputation as a premier destination for sportsmen and upland bird hunters along Saginaw Bay. Sebewaing embraced outdoors and sporting imagery alongside its deep-well water claims to market its packaged beer against competing regional brands.

The brewery's origins trace back to 1880 under founder E. O. Braendle. After a fire destroyed the original facility in the 1890s, the plant was rebuilt in sturdy brick. During Prohibition, the business adapted by operating as the Sebewaing Products Company, selling malt extract to consumers. Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the operation resumed brewing as the Sebewaing Brewing Company. Over the decades, the brewery became well-known for lively local promotions, including traveling with live lion mascots during the 1930s and 1940s before adopting the pheasant motif. Like many small independent regional breweries, Sebewaing faced intense consolidation pressures and closed in the mid-1960s.

Cans featuring sporting and wildlife themes remain popular among collectors, and this Sebewaing flat top is a favorite within Michigan and Midwestern breweriana circles. The striking pheasant illustration combined with the quirky pronunciation guide makes it an enduring example of mid-century regional brewery design.