In the heart of Michigan’s Thumb, the small village of Ubly once housed one of the state’s most unusual drinking establishments—Cash’s Bar. These two vintage photo postcards from the 1940s give us a rare glimpse into a one-of-a-kind tavern that doubled as a marketing shrine to the emerging canned beer industry.

Everything inside Cash’s Bar—from the stools and tables to the walls and ceiling—was adorned with beer cans. But these weren’t just tossed together. The cans were arranged in geometric patterns, stacked into miniature buildings, and even spelled out advertising slogans like “Buy Better Beer in Keglined Cans”. It was part art installation, part promotional campaign.

The term “keglined cans” refers to an innovation introduced in the 1930s by the American Can Company. The lining helped protect beer from the metallic taste often associated with early canned beverages. These cans revolutionized beer packaging during the Prohibition recovery years and WWII, and Cash’s Bar served as a high-profile endorsement of the technology—right in rural Huron County.

Two people—likely owners or bartenders—stand behind the long bar in the first image, surrounded by towers and displays made entirely of branded cans. Large drums for Breweries Ale dominate the back wall, along with placards touting the benefits of canned beer: no breakage, no returns, no deposits.

What inspired this decor is unknown, but it’s likely that Cash’s Bar partnered with a distributor or manufacturer to build a local showcase for the new packaging trend. This would have aligned with national marketing campaigns at the time aimed at convincing consumers to accept beer in cans instead of glass.

Today, other than these postcards and a matchbook cover for sale on Etsy, no trace of Cash’s Bar appears to remain in Ubly. No modern listings or references exist to suggest the business survived beyond the mid-century. Still, these two striking images offer a glimpse into a moment when rural Michigan was at the cutting edge of beverage marketing—and when a small-town bar could become a visual landmark in the fight for the future of beer.

Additional Information:

We’re still researching more details about the ownership and fate of Cash’s Bar. If you have stories or memories to share, drop them in the comments.

Ubly, Michigan, is located in Huron County and has long served as a hub for agriculture and small businesses in the Thumb region.

These postcards were likely created as promotional materials, possibly commissioned by the American Can Company or a beer brand distributing in Michigan.