Tuxedo 51 Premium Beer Flat Top Can

Tuxedo 51 Premium Beer Flat Top

This 12-ounce flat top container dates from the mid-1950s and represents a distinctive regional packaging run from eastern Washington. Key to identifying this specific issue is the central oval medallion featuring the brand name "Tuxedo" rendered in flowing black script lettering above "Premium," positioned over prominent red numerals outlining "51" and anchored by "Beer" scripted beneath. Vertically aligned along the seam, the mandatory statement explicitly credits the package as filled by the Tuxedo Brewing Co. of Spokane, Washington. The composition balances an off-white oval centerpiece against a rich burgundy background trimmed with metallic gold bands.

Tuxedo 51 was marketed during the post-World War II brewing boom as a refined yet accessible regional lager. In an era when regional producers faced intense pressure from rapidly expanding national shipping giants, regional breweries frequently introduced secondary lines and trade labels to maximize supermarket distribution and tavern sales. Tuxedo 51 fulfilled that role by adopting formal, upscale motifs evocative of evening dress to convey quality at a competitive price point. Like many mid-century secondary brands, it had a brief commercial run before disappearing as market conditions shifted.

While labeled under the Tuxedo Brewing Co. moniker, the firm was an alternate trade name utilized by Bohemian Breweries, Inc. of Spokane. The facility traced its history back to the late nineteenth century, originally established by German immigrant John G. F. Hieber as the Inland Brewing and Malting Company. After enduring Prohibition through the production of non-alcoholic beverages and agricultural processing, the plant re-emerged upon repeal in 1933 under the Bohemian Breweries name. Alongside an affiliated plant in Boise, Idaho, it operated as one of the regional "Twin Bohemian Breweries," supplying markets across the Inland Empire. In 1956, Bohemian merged with Chicago's Atlantic Brewing Company, but mounting economic competition brought brewing operations at the Spokane plant to an end shortly thereafter.

Within breweriana collecting, this flat top is sought after by enthusiasts focusing on Pacific Northwest regional history and Washington State brewing heritage. The use of proprietary subsidiary names on canned beers was a defining trend of mid-century brewing economics, making cans stamped with the Spokane Tuxedo identity memorable artifacts of the city's commercial brewing era.