Douglas C. Towne has been collecting beer cans since he was a little boy – “long before I liked beer,” he says. The retired hydrologist and longtime PHOENIX contributor caught the collecting bug from his older brother, who did a college project on beer can design and marketing and gifted 8-year-old Towne the “extras” he’d solicited from breweries. “This was dovetailing when the Beer Can Collectors of America started in the early ’70s, and beer can collecting became this huge rage for maybe 10 years or so,” he says. He loved the graphics and learning about “the marketplace for breweries at the time. So, you might say that this was the start of my interest in history and signs.” In 2021, Towne pared down his collection – from about 1,400 items to around 800.
Early Beer Labels
“The Arizona Brewing Company initially made various beers upon Prohibition being repealed in 1933, including Aguila, Apache, Arizona, Elder Brau, Hopi, Sin Viral, Sunbru and Wunderland.” Towne’s favorite? “I love the Canyon Lake because it’s so regional,” he says. “I think some of the craft beers today kind of mimic this artwork.” Steel cans had crisper graphics than their later aluminum counterparts, which were cheaper and lighter.
A-1 Pilsner
Two years after Prohibition ended, “the first beer cans were manufactured using heavy steel,” Towne says. “The cans lacked easy-open ‘pull-tab’ or ‘pop-up’ options, and a ‘church key’ [opener] was required to enjoy the contents. Pull tabs didn’t appear until the mid-1960s.”
A-1 Legend Series
Breweries seized on the collecting craze with limited-edition can designs. The A-1 Legend Series featured the Lost Dutchman, Ed Schieffelin, “Old Bill” Williams and Bucky O’Neill, “allowing drinkers to learn local history while they imbibed,” Towne says. “It was a way to sell more beer and kind of emphasize the Arizona-ness of the beer, too.”
Dutch Treat Premium Lager
“Don’t believe the beer can’s label,” he says. “It was National Brewing behind the suds. Often, breweries would produce a cheaper product under an alias, so if consumers reacted negatively, they wouldn’t associate it with their leading brands.” Dutch Treat was exclusively produced for A.J. Bayless markets in Phoenix.
Beer Can Collectors of America Pin
The Beer Can Collectors of America had a version of classified ads in its newsletter where collectors could swap their excess cans for ones they coveted. “You’re 13, 14, and suddenly these big boxes come addressed to Doug Towne. You open them up and there’s all these cool beer cans for your collection,” he says. “It was a lot of fun.”
