Sugar And Spice Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Schell's Sugar & Spice Series

The Sugar and Spice Beer can is one of the most distinctive releases to emerge from the historic August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota. Schell's, established in 1860 by German immigrant August Schell, is recognized as the second-oldest family-owned brewery in the United States. During the late 1970s, as regional independent breweries sought innovative ways to stand out on retail shelves and capture the attention of the booming breweriana collector community, August Schell experimented with eye-catching specialty can designs.

Sugar and Spice Beer became widely known as Schell's entry into the "girl can" marketing trend popular during this era. Unlike the sleek, heavily stylized corporate glamour shots often found on national brands, the artwork on Sugar and Spice cans is celebrated for its candid, DIY aesthetic. The designs feature photographic portraits of models—such as Mary, Terri, and Sherri—posed in casual settings, ranging from summer swimwear to seasonal attire. The imagery captures a snapshot style reminiscent of consumer photography of the decade, giving the cans a memorable folk-art charm among collectors.

Schell's released multiple design variations within the Sugar and Spice line, showcasing different models, poses, and outfits across the production run. In addition to variations in the featured models, collectors also note minor graphic and text variations, including differences in mandatory legal verbiage such as alcohol statement disclosures and can manufacturer stamps like American National Can Co.

Because regional novelty runs of this nature were produced in limited quantities compared to Schell's core flagship lagers, the Sugar and Spice series has become a sought-after collectible. The series stands as a fascinating artifact of regional American brewing history and late-twentieth-century beer marketing creativity.