Self Opening States Only

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Illinois and Chicago I 

Illinois cans - top row. 

The Ace Hi is the metallic can in the USBC book. The Armanetti is from a two can 2013 find and is not pictured and unknown as a self-opening can.

These cans have unique ring-like pulls on the lids (see lid types section). 


The Bavarian Select Beer has the blue flag (normally red flag) wrapped around another can. It has only been shown in the Unlimited Book with less than six known to exist. The two Buckeye cans, while never pictured, are known to exist.

I know of only two other Canadian Ace Ales. The Cold Brau has not been pictured as self-opening from Chicago.


The Crest is the long lost can and is believed to be unique as a self-opening can. It has never appeared in any of the books. The Crown Darby is the USBC 2 can. I had a one minus grade Forty-niner which I sold after I upgraded this can. I am aware of the existence of two other on grade cans. 

CHICAGO IS: 


    By the birth of the selfopening can in 1962, only five of the great Chicago Breweries survived. Here's "The Who, The What, and The When".

        1. Atlantic closed 1965

             Cans: Champagne Velvet, Regal, Tavern Pale Dry

        2. Drewery's (South Bend, Indiana) gained control of Atlas Brewing in the early 1950's  (who also operated the 

                                Schoenhofen Edelweiss plant  which closed in 1970)  Merged with Associated in 1963 - closed in 1972.

            Cans: Atlas Prager, Bavarian Select, Cold Brau, Dorf, (3) Drewerys, Edelweiss, Forty Niner, Great Lakes, Home, Katz, 

                               None-O-Five, Old Dutch, Trophy.

        3. Canadian Ace (Manhattan before 1947) closed in 1968.

            Cans: (3) ABC (Gold Brau), Ace Hi, Armanetti, Bismarck, (3) Canadian Ace, Crest, Crown Darby, 

                               Gold Brau, Hapsburg, Jet, Kings, Koenig Brau, Land of Lakes, Prima, Reidenbach, (3) Tudor

        4. Peter Hand closed 1967, reorganized as Mister Brau. Closed again in 1972. Fred Huber (Monroe, Wisconsin) reopened in

                              1973 again as Peter Hand.   

             Cans: 4A. Peter Hand: Alps Brau, Augsburger, Burgermeister, Meister Brau Reserve, (2) Old Chicago, (2) Old Crown, 

                              Old German, (2) Peter Hand, Zodiac                

                       4B. Meister Brau: (2) Buckeye, (3) Meister Brau, (3) Lite  

        5. Van Merrit (Monarch before 1958) closed 1967.

            Cans: Van Merrit


MY KIND OF TOWN