Mark W. Rummel posted this photo on June 24, 2014 in the Facebook Group “You know you are from Sebewaing, MI when …”. He said:
“For sale today on eBay – this is unique: an unopened “Zip & Sip” blue can of Sebewaing Beer. Scott Thede would know for sure, but I’d say this is from 1965 or so, near the end of the brewery’s existence.
The drinker back then opened it from the bottom (maybe he/she didn’t like the “new-fangled” top opener) so it’s empty, but the pull-tab is intact. The seller wants $79.99 as an opening bid (pretty high price) but maybe would sell it for less, if no other offers come forward.
(Actually, it seems to me that many CBWing Beer drinkers opened their cans on the bottom back then, for some reason. It’s good for collectors today, since the top remains unopened, but I wonder why they did that.)
It’s another memory from Sebewaing’s past, and it could be yours, if you’d like it.”
Here are the comments from the post:
Scott M. Thede Coincidentally, I wrote an article on the brewery website about the beer can debut a week before Mark’s post about the Ebay opportunity. To help confirm Mark’s statement, as far as I know, the zip top came out in the last few years of the brewery’s operation. I’d say 1964-1965. I doubt very much that between 1965-1966, they would try something new like this when they were trying to keep their heads up the financial waters. Anything that came out in the way of a zip top can from 1965-1966 was likely using existing inventory. Here is the article on the national can debut and specifically, the Sebewaing Brewing can information with nice pictures. https://sebewaingbrewingcompany.com/the-can-debut/
Mark W Rummel Great story, Scott. I am so glad you are working to keep the Sebewaing Brewery story alive. Scott’s Grandfather Otto Thede ran the brewery for years and lived right next to it.
Thank you to Mark W Rummel for this post.
