OH BOY......WHAT A BEER!

 

4.  National was the fourth Baltimore brewery to use Self-Opening Tops.

 

The Colt 45 Beer is the USBC book can. A couple of recent finds brings their total know to 10-12. The three Colt Malt Lagers all have Virginia or North Carolina tax stamps on the bottom lid, meaning that is where they were sold.

The pink Apple Malt Duck, about 6 known, is on many collectors wish list.

 

National Bohemian lays claim to producing the first six pack.

 

The Purple Malt Duck is extremely rare: this one pictured here and one other that sold in the 1980 Ken White Garrard collection sale. It the "true mate" of the Apple MDML as both cans are Malt Liquors. The grape can on the right is a beer. As I have twice seen advertising pieces for the Grape MDML, it is my belief that is was marketed and the USBC 2 book is in error by listing it in the test can section.

The National can, second from the left, was made in 1963 when the National Brewery transitioned from the red can on the left, to the more modern white label can on its right.

 

 

 

National Brewing Company

 National Boh

 

National, out of Baltimore Maryland had four locations:

1. Baltimore

2. Altes (old Tivoli) from Detroit Michigan

3. American Brewing (old Regal from Miami, Fl)

4. A-1 (old Arizona Brewing from Phoenix, Arizona

that produced self-opening cans.  Each of the four sites

had extremely rare cans. It is my belief that the National

Brewing Company cans are the most difficult to assemble.

 

Included is a timeline of National Brewing’s acquisitions and closures:

 

1954: Purchased Detroit’s Altes  Brewery

1958: Anheuser Busch purchased Miami’s American Brewing Company1961: National purchased the American Brewing 

          in Miami from Anheuser Busch1963: Markets Colt 45 (name derived from NFL Baltimore Colts fullback Jerry Hill

          who wore number 45 on his jersey).  Colt 45 is a major success and goes nationally.

1964: Carling purchases A-1 Brewing

1966: National purchases A-1 from Carling

1973: National closes Altes (Detroit) Brewery

1974: National closes American (Miami) Brewery

1975: National merges with Carling

1976: Carling National sold to G. Heilman,  Baltimore plant closes

1985: A-1 Brewery closed

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