Turtle Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Turtle Beer Diamond Jubilee Can

Manufactured in 1980, this 12-ounce straight steel can is fitted with a stay top mechanism and includes both standard and metric liquid volume markings. Catalog documentation recognizes this stay top variation as the definitive recorded example, reflecting revisions over time where alternate classifications were reevaluated or removed. The label features an illustrated turtle mascot sporting a cap and shoes, perched atop a rock in water while planting a pennant flag emblazoned with "75." The character points directly toward a regional outline map marking the town of Turtle Lake, North Dakota, situated along Highway 41 near the Missouri River.

Turtle Beer was created as a limited civic commemorative release rather than a conventional commercial brand. Commissioned to mark the 75th anniversary of Turtle Lake, North Dakota, the beer celebrated the town's Diamond Jubilee festivities held on July 5–6, 1980. Promoting the rural prairie community under its longtime civic moniker, "Hub City of the Lake Region," the can served as both a festive refreshment during the anniversary weekend and a collectible keepsake for residents and visitors. Once the celebration came to an end, the short-lived label was permanently retired.

The brew was produced and packaged under contract by the August Schell Brewing Company of New Ulm, Minnesota. Established in 1860 by German immigrant August Schell, the operation is the second-oldest family-owned brewery in the United States. Schell survived significant local turmoil during the Dakota War of 1862 and navigated Prohibition by bottling near-beer and soft drinks. During the post-war era, intense consolidation crushed many independent regional breweries across the Upper Midwest. Schell sustained its plant by embracing specialty brews, localized contract canning, and civic commemorative projects alongside its core line of traditional German-style lagers.

Within the breweriana community, this can appeals to collectors focused on municipal commemorations, contract brewing history, and Upper Midwest civic pride. Limited-edition town jubilee cans from the late 1970s and early 1980s capture a distinctive chapter of American brewing, where local heritage and small independent packaging runs came together.