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| A is for Associated: (Sept/2011) From a collection assembled by a couple in Clovis, Calif. who traveled around Calif. in the mid-late 1930's and may be the only authentic paper label, opening direction can. At one point on the bottom of the label, there is a small gap between the label and the metal rim, which shows the colors of a "green" Brown Derby can. | |
"Two-cans-in-one" was coined by Gene DiCicco for this beer can. Gene was given ideas to take the label off, but being an experienced collector and knowing the provenance of the can, Gene preserved it as was found by the Clovis couple. (A slightly short Associated label was obtained with other beer labels by Rawley Douglas BCCA #19952 in a San Francisco antique shop, but later without his permission copies were made; these xerox copies have been seen in collections placed around an unrelated can. Humboldt Malt and Brewing Co had its office at 50 Sutter St and the location of this office may account for the label being found in SF.)) In early 2008 Herman Oswald reported in Rusty Bunch website that he and another collector opened a "30's" pit in Northern Calif. at a higher elevation campsite. In the pit along with "usual stuff" were found a number of Associated paper label cans with the remains of their paper labels still attached over a "silver primer". When the silver primer was cleaned off, at least 9 "green" Brown Derby cans were revealed - for an unprecedented group of a previously rarely seen beer can label. Herman thinks the campsite pit was of the type used by tourists to the area rather than by local residents. Also for another clue, Herman has described he found, "a couple Coca-Cola soda bottles mixed in with the Brown Derby layer of the pit that had Los Angeles on them, which would indicate possible Southern California tourist influence." When digging, Herman also brings a "Sherlock Holmes" perspective by looking for signs as to the pit's age and who could have been there those many years before. Herman has made many top "finds", but this one could be among the "Top 10" for about any year, and possibly for any of several longer time intervals, decade, etc. The Associated paper label can was first seen in Clovis collection in 1971. At the time, it was thought to be "authentic" since part of a beer can group assembled by a couple who picked up cans as they vacationed around Calif. in the 1930's, but many years were needed until 2008 when other examples were dug from a pit to give more confirmation that it was an "authentic" beer can. Dan Andrews in April/May, 1994 BCCA Magazine has a "Can Close Up" article on the Brown Derby and Associated paper label cans from Humboldt Malt and Brewing Co. Top |
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A is for Ambassador: (Sept/2011) Dan Andrews wrote an article in BCCA magazine on this small Los Angeles brewery that operated until around 1941, producing only one can label and apparently very little breweriana. Per Calif. Brewing Assn. records, after ranking #14 in beer sales for 1935 among 35 Calif. breweries, Ambassador dropped steadily in the following years during the time when it was canning beer. By Dec. 1937 the brewery had dropped down to 22nd and had annual taxable beer sales only ahead of Globe and Salinas (Monterey brand). Among the on-grade examples known for Ambassador: --one from Canada that a bottle collector reportedly picked up at a Portland, OR show was located by Dick Caughey in the 1980's. (Maybe ended up in Oregon via a train rider from Los Angeles?) --Mercier Collection example --an example which oddly turned up in the 1970's in New Jersey and its history is described as part of the "Leidigs" story describing the "Leidigs Deluxe" variation. (A Horton Brewery employee saved "mis-sent" cans that were occasionally found mixed in with Horton brand cans from Continental Can plant.) --around 2001 Dan Scoglietti located a former Los Angeles plumber who had retired out-of-state and had saved over 100 cans produced during the 1930's to 1950's that he had picked up over the years. The rarest ones were three grade 1 or better Ambassador cones, along with a Balboa from Monarch Brewing. Pictures of these cans are on beercanmuseum.com under "Calif. beer can find". --in 2008, a grade 1 or better appearing example turned up on ebay that was found at a flea market in NE Texas. The finder said the flea market seller had it on display for 2 1/2 days before he bought it, which he (and other collectors now too) thought was a very long time for a rare can to be available for sale at a flea market. Another example showing that beer cans are still a lesser known collectible that can have value. Off-grade examples are also rare, but have been found in scattered dumps. In the early 1970's there was an active digger of cans, which were sold at his relics shop in Pear Blossom or Littlerock, Calif., who found some of the earliest Ambassador cone examples. The Brewery picture was taken by Ernie Oest - one of many photos of brewery buildings Ernie took from the 1940's to 1960's - and provided by Bob Kay. Top |
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A is for Apex: (Sept/2011) A can filled in Seattle, which includes a statement that is was made for Alaska. On-grade examples that have been saved are relatively few such as the pictured can - a #701 Tichelar can; one in the Mercier collection; and a few others such as reportedly one in the "Seattle Jockey Club" collection that was located possibly around Coos Bay, OR. A number of examples have been dug and found under buildings in Alaska along with others in Washington State. Top |
| A is for Arrow Ale and Arrow Bock: (Sept/2011) Baltimore, Maryland was a brewing center with a number of major regional breweries. This Arrow Ale design was sold as the Depression was ending and apparently (?) was an attempt to convey the image as the beverage of choice for those living and riding as masters and huntsmen during the fox hunts on horse farms in Maryland and the Delaware/Pennsylvania "Chateau Country". Since this brand has been rare in the metallic can, the marketing venture must not have attracted those ale drinkers who actually bought Arrow products as the other Arrow can designs had more routine designs. |   |
| This Arrow Ale was held by several collectors in the Mid-West for some years, but its prior history is uncertain; until 1976 it may have been in Will Anderson's collection? Arrow Bock in on-grade condition is lesser seen, even among the typically limited distribution bock brands. Top |
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A is for Aztec Brewing Co. San Diego: (Sept/2011) Per Will Anderson's Beer USA, the Aztec Brewing Company of Mexicali, Mexico in 1932 moved most of its brewing equipment to San Diego in anticipation that the American Prohibition would end. By 1936 it had become the 5th largest brewing company in California after Acme, Rainier, General, and Los Angeles Brewing. |
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| By 1940 it had canned beer in the five different labels pictured - it's main ABC beer; graphic Old Dutch Beer and Ale, and the rarest can, Associated for a grocery chain. In 1947 Altes Brewing of Michigan made the right decision to include a brewery in a higher growth market and bought Aztec Brewing. However, sales didn't meet expectations and the San Diego brewery location was closed in 1953. Top | |
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B is for Bluebonnet: (Sept/2011) Dallas-Fort Worth Brewing Co. canned Bluebonnet in cones during the late 1940's until around 1952. During the later 1970's a six pack or more were found in top shape of this colorful metallic label, and occasionally other top shape cans have appeared such as one on ebay around 2003 that was held by a St. Louis family after being picked up by a relative during a visit to Dallas long before. During the interval 1938-9 to 1940, the brewery at this location operated as Time Brewing, Inc., canning Time Beer in cones, with a metallic label. Clay Tichelar found a top shape example in the Continental group he bought, and scattered other examples have turned up making the cone relatively scarce. |
| Off-grade examples of both cones are found in moderate numbers to give collectors a range of conditions for these cans with desirable brand names found only in these two cones. Top | |
| B is for Brockert Porter "J" spout: (Sept/2011) In 1982 an Enterprise Auction featured a Brockert Porter ("click" to see a page from that Auction's booklet) with the claim: "the only known surviving example". However such claims of rarity are risky to believe when a previously unusual can is offered without a long provenance: within a year, Buffalo beer can dealer Paul Michel had located three more Brockert Porter cans held by antique dealer in Lowell, Mass. Two of these cans were top shape and one had a rust mark on the front. Since that time other Brockert Porter cans have been found in dumps but apparently no more on-grade examples have appeared of what still is the only Porter type beer that has been canned. Top |  |
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B is for Brown Derby: (Sept/2011) The "green" Brown Derby - a variation that apparently had a very short run as few examples are known. Saved early on by a collector who started in 1936 a beer collection at a small Sierra Nevada town and who assembled a 200+ can collection over the next 15 years. Top |
| B for Buckingham Ale: (Sept/2011) This metallic can has an unusual geometric cross-hatching that makes the can "dazzle" when turned in a light. The two pictures highlight small segments of the cross-hatching, especially in the side view. |   |
| Two 1+ examples of this brand were in the Pottstown, PA collection and are bottom opened. Uncertain if any more 1+ all-original examples are around, and apparently there are just a few tarnished, to very tarnished/scratched cans also around. Additionally, a Colorado collector has a rolled example that as a flat was first found in the late 1980's by former BCCA member Harvey Lambert, along with some other flats such as Golden Rod. Click for brewery photo Top | |
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B is for Buffalo breweries that canned beer: (Sept/2011) Buffalo had a long brewing tradition before Prohibition, by some estimates, over 80 breweries with around 30 operating at one time during some intervals. Around 1900, Buffalo was one of the country's major industrial centers as the 3rd largest steel producer, a major grain terminus for the Great Lakes, and was an active transportation hub with a substantial German and Polish population who liked drinking beer. |
For a U.S. city with a population around 260,000 in the 2010 census, Buffalo has among the widest variety of architecturally significant civic/residential structures still in use and has an active Preservationist movement. There is a well organized and extensive website of current photos, historical backgrounds, etc.: "Buffalo as an Architectural Museum". Unfortunately in one industrial category, Pre Pro brewery structures, not many are left but the exterior of a good example does remain - part of the original Ziegele/Phoenix Brewery (1888) at Washington and Virginia. This former brewery's exterior walls, well represent a typical design by Otto Wolf of Philadelphia with elaborate brick work, etc. After Prohibition the main breweries that returned to making beer were: Click here for Brewery photos ----Gerhard Lang Brewery (the largest in Buffalo before Prohibition, once covering over 30 acres at Best and Jefferson) which lasted until 1949. and five breweries in East Buffalo, south of Broadway: ----Magnus Beck Brewing Co. which lasted until 1955. ----Phoenix Brewery, which after Prohibition had relocated to the former "East Buffalo Brewery" building, canned beer briefly in the late 1950's before being bought by International Breweries in 1959; which then reportedly used the plant to brew ale briefly. ----Iroquois Beverage Corp., which in 1955 became the lead brewery of five breweries in several states that joined to become International Breweries, Inc. The Pratt St. brewery in Buffalo was a functional 1890's design that operated until 1971, and still has several buildings standing. ----The William Simon Brewery, farther south on Emslie from Phoenix Brewery, canned beer from the 1950's into the later 1960's. The Brewery, lasting until 1972, operated in a better-than-average architecturally detailed 1900-era building that is still standing ----George F. Stein Brewery, which stopped in 1958, had its brewery building demolished in 1959. The Stein location at 797 Broadway, had been the site of a brewery since 1852. (In the 1920's, part of the former brewery land was taken to realign Smith St. at the intersection with Broadway to match with Herman St. going north. Beer cans: ----During the 1930's Iroquois Beverage canned Iroquois Beer and Ale in two graphic low profile cones, along with an olive drab J-spout during WWII. The U. S. Beer Cans picture of an Iroquois Half and Half "cone" has been described by New York collector Tom Leo as, "a partial Half and Half sheet that has been rolled." For some years a BCCA collector, William Breen, knew about an "all original" Iroquois Half and Half cone that was held by a former Iroquois employee; got the cone; and in 2011 passed it to a dealer. As of 2011, there is uncertainty, if and how many, dumper examples of the Iroquois Half and Half cone have been found. After World War II, Iroquois filled a variety of high profile cones and crowntainers. When International Breweries was formed in 1954, four of the breweries began canning beer in a flat top label that has been called "The TV Screen" design for a number of brands (Iroquois, Silver Bar, Frankenmuth, Old Dutch). Also several local brands were canned with their own labels. ----The William Simon Brewery canned beer in the 1950's and 1960's with its "Simon Pure" label. ----The George F. Stein Brewery started canning in the early 1950's and filled six colorful beer and ale cans with the rarest being the early 1950's "Canadian Brand Cream Ale" that has a picture of that brand in a bottle by the seam. In the 1950's and 1960's the Buffalo area saw the importation of many Canadian beers and ales ("dumped" into the Buffalo market?), which was another challenge for Buffalo breweries. Still to be uncovered is whether the Stein Brewery marketed its "Canadian Ale" to sell in Canada or to give Buffalo ale drinkers a "Canadian style" ale that was produced in Buffalo as an alternative to the Canadian imports. The USBC book shows an example of the Canadian Brand Cream Ale flat top. Tom Leo understands Paul Michel got that Stein's Canadian Ale can from a Buffalo collector. In the Class Book there is also a picture of the Stein's Canadian Ale example but the can's colors look much brighter than the USBC example and uncertain if there is just one or at least two examples. (Paul Michel was one of the most active 1980's beer can dealers and was located in Buffalo, until he unfortunately died in the later 1980's. While Paul's father was a coin dealer and Paul grew up knowing all the "dealer angles", he was known to convey many rarer cans to on-going collectors at prices that encouraged their continuing buying, rather than pricing a can for only the one buyer who might appear.) Top |
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| B is for Butte Beer low profile: (Sept/2011) The brewery in Montana filled two different cones and several flat tops until going out of business in the early 1960's, with the 1930's low profile was the rarest. Clay Tichelar found a Butte low profile cone in the Bensenville, IL collection and for some years it was thought to be the only example available. However, by the late '70's, collectors in Montana had heard about a small find held originally by a former employee. Per Jack Riesselman, around 1983-4 a Montana antique dealer turned out to have 17 of the low profiles and sold some to him, Ole Olsen, and a few other collectors. In the 1990's Jack saw another low profile at a Butte show that wasn't part of the original "17", which makes "19" on grade examples, so far. |  |
Also Jack knows of at least two flat sheets that have been made into cones, and has seen two dumpers. The Butte low profile continues as a rare can with less than a case of on-grade examples and unusually for a rare cone, as of summer, 2009 apparently there are more on-grade examples than dumpers. Some collectors have copies of correspondence on Butte Brewing Co. letterhead from late 1936 that discusses sending "6 cases" to one distributor, and more were likely shipped. In Montana cabin or campsite pits from the '30's, more Butte low profile cones are awaiting discovery. Top |
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C is for Clipper Beer by Grace: (Sept/2011) In the late 1930's, one of Grace Bros. more colorful brands pictured a Clipper airplane that recently had started commercial flying across the Pacific. Today at Treasure Island in San Franciso Bay, there is still "Clipper Cove" where these airplanes would float before or after their flights. Clipper flat top beer cans were first found in volume (an estimated 50 or more) by Wally Gilbert under the Wagon Wheel Bar in 1972, but these cans were typically "under the house" condition cans with the best being grade 1-. However, a much later 2002 attic "find" in West Sacramento had around 13 Clipper cans, one of which is pictured above. However most of these cans, while being rust free, were deeply dented and subsequently have been repaired with a lid replaced. The story on this "find" was described in the April, 2003 BCCA magazine article that included Gene DiCicco's picture with most of the cans from this group. |
| Clipper beer cans were produced by Grace Bros. at its breweries in Santa Rosa and Los Angeles. Outside the above two "finds", other Clipper cans in 1/1+ condition have been relatively scarce and the label is one of the most graphic cans for collectors. Top | |
| C is for Cremo Brewing in Connecticut: (Sept/2011) Cremo Brewing Co. in New Britain operated from 1935 to 1955 and had a number of interesting cans in 12 oz and quart sizes, such as the four pictured, Cremo Beer and Cremo Ale J spouts and two flat tops from the 1950's, Diplomat and Manhattan. Will Anderson's books have information on the brewery. |  |
----Cremo Beer J spout "find": The Brewery picture was taken by Ernie Oest - one of many photos of brewery buildings Ernie took from the 1940's to 1960's - and provided by Bob Kay. Click to see photo. Top |
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C is for Crown Can's small-sized cans: (Sept/2011) Around 1940, American Can Company and Continental Can dominated the U.S. beer can producing industry, followed by National Can and the newest entry, Crown Cork & Seal of Baltimore, Maryland. Crown Cork & Seal had originally been founded in 1892 to make bottle crowns, and by the 1930's had over half of the world market for crowns. Importantly, early-on the company established extensive operations overseas, which later turned out to be an important driver of its sales growth into a major can producer. In 1936 Crown Cork & Seal bought the Acme Can Co. of Philadelphia and began producing food and beer cans under the name "Crown Can". |
| As of 2011, of the four U.S. can manufacturing companies in the 1930's, only Crown Cork and Seal (now named Crown Holdings, Inc.) has continued as the same corporation and one which still manufacturers a variety of packaging products, largely due to the leadership of John Connelly and William Avery. In 1957 John Connelly became President when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. He focused on cutting costs; producing a range of packaging containers, such as beer cans, aerosol cans, etc.; moved the Company's headquarters to Philadelphia in 1958; and emphasized its already strong positions in overseas markets. |
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| In the late 1980's, management leadership next passed to William Avery who continued to focus the company on the packaging industry, rather than diversifying into other areas. However, he did start actively acquiring other companies with packaging operations, such as the activities of Continental Can during the years around 1990. By the 1980's American Can's management, faced with new competitive pressures in the packaging business, had tried diversifying into financial services; sold its packaging business in 1986; and changed its name. The American Can packaging operations was merged with National Can, and after several owners, is now owned by a British global packaging company. Crown Can's beer cans: As Crown Cork and Seal grew after WWII, the production of beer cans were only one of the many types of packaging sold by the company that enabled it to survive in the 1950's and fueled its growth in following decades. For beer can collectors, Crown Cork & Seal's beer cans from the later 1930's are among the most graphic and collectible of all beer cans. These cans were typically characterized by high quality printing of colorful/intricate label designs - often modeled on a brewery's paper labels for bottles. Additionally, since most of Crown Can's beer cans were sold to medium and small-sized breweries, these 1930's era cans remain generally scarce for collectors to find. Compared with American Can and Continental can, Crown Cork & Seal in the 1930's produced the widest variety of cans types and sizes from quarts; its variation of the "low profile" cone top, called by collectors "J spout"; standard-sized 12oz flat top cans; a few brands in the "tall" 12oz flat top cans, Frederick's, Ambrosia, etc.; its "Crowntainer" that was patented in 1937; and small-sized cans that are pictured above, two 10oz "J spouts", and a "tall" 8oz flat top can. (The beer can collectors term, "J spout" was first used by Dave Peck in the mid 1970's - see C is for Cremo Brewing. Among Crown Cork & Seal's earliest flat top beer cans apparently were a number of brands made for Monarch Brewing Co. of Los Angeles since some of those cans have "Crown Can" on them. Given Monarch's location across the country from Crown's Philadelphia plant, the background on how Crown Cork & Seal gained such a contract, and if it did, awaits more verification.) In the late 1930's Crown Cork & Seal made two 10oz. "J spout" cans, for Northampton Brewing, in Northampton, Penn. - Tru Blu Beer and Tru Blu Ale; and for Peter Fox Brewing in Chicago, the "tall" 8oz Fox Deluxe flat top can. On grade examples of these three small-sized cans are very scarce, and though several dozen dumper examples, or more, have found over the years, these small-sized cans from Crown remain "highlight" cans whenever found by collectors. The Northampton Brewery building pictured above (the exterior still looks approximately the same as of 2010), was taken by Ernie Oest - one of many photos of brewery buildings Ernie took from the 1940's to 1960's. (picture provided by Bob Kay.) Top |
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D is for Dobler Bock: (Sept/2011) A bottom opened example from the collection of Joe Veselsky and a can he said he picked up in the mid 1950's while on a drive from Long Island to Niagara Falls. Top |
| D is for Dutch Club: (Sept/2011) These two cone variations were of a brand connected with "Eberhardt & Ober Brewing Co", part of Pittsburgh Brewing Company. Details are in the August, 2003 BCCA magazine article, but in 1899 Pittsburgh Brewing Company led one of the larger mergers of local breweries which combined to make, at the time, the 3rd largest brewing company in the U.S. Top |  |
| E is for El Rey Brewing: (Sept/2011) El Rey Brewing in San Francisco was on outer Mission St. in the 5000 block and canned beer in one of the most colorful groups of low profile cone tops by any 1930's brewery: three variations of Eagle Beer, two variations of Tornberg's Old German, Leidigs Dutch Mill, Gold Age, and by far the most common brand found by collectors, El Rey Beer. The brewery's name was changed to Albion in July, 1938, and to Eagle in 1941 with the brewery closing in 1942 per detailed records of California breweries kept by a group, California Brewers Association. (The California Brewers Association had an office in the Russ Building in San Francisco until the later 1970's, but what happened to the group's many records hasn't been learned at this time.) |
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In December, 1936 of the breweries in California that sold beer in cans, El Rey Brewing was among the smaller ones with sales only ahead of Grace Brothers Los Angeles, Globe Brewing of San Francisco, and Salinas Brewing. |
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E is for Eastside Ale: (Sept/2011) Los Angeles Brewing was a major California brewery for many years with their popular "Eastside" beer and the name is connected with the brewery's location being just east of the Los Angeles River. This metallic Ale can is from the unusual group of 1930's cans originially in a Chico, Calif. bar collection that was obtained by Randy McMahon (former BCCA #31597). Top |
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| F is for Finer Flavor Ale: (Sept/2011) This can was part of a large collection, that included at least four other Monarch Brewing cans, found by Tom Leo in the mid 1980's that originally had been assembled by a U.S. Army tank officer stationed in Calif., probably Fort Irwin, and written up in the BCCA magazine. Unfortunately the Army officer didn't survive World War II and his cans went through several hands until they were found in upstate New York around 1984 still wrapped in 1940 era newspapers. Top |  |
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F is for Fox Export: (Sept/2011) An "Export" label from the large Fox Brewery of Chicago. Top |
| F is for Frederick's 4 Crown: (Sept/2011) Picture shows two of the 3 known "tall 12oz" cans made for a brief interval by South Side Brewing of Chicago. Originally in the Pottstown, PA collection and these tarnish-free examples were kept full until 1972 when bottom opened. Top | |
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F is for Frederick's J spout: (Sept/2011) A rare cone from the small Thornton, IL brewery, examples of which were first found in 1972 by Vaughn Amstutz of Lafayette, Indiana who first was an active collector from the 1960's on. Vaughn found several six packs of grade 1+ Tavern beer in 1970, and ran ads uncovering other cans. Vaughn stood out as one of the most dependable and reliable traders whom many collectors wanted to network with and was an early trader, outside the New York area, with Joe Veselky in the 1960's. The picture shows a gathering at his home in early 1971 with several BCCA President's and Hall of Fame winners attending. |
The Frederick's J spout pictured is one of the ones Vaughn found, the best of which are around grade 1, down to grades 1-/2+ due to scratches. Marc Tracy, the J spout specialist, thinks the only other non-dumper example of the can that has turned up as of summer of 2010, is one that was in Bob McCoy's collection, which reportedly found at Notre Dame during a remodeling project. Dumper examples are scarce too. This Thornton, IL brewery had another J spout, Pilsener Light Lager, which is more common. Top |
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G is for General Brewing Corp. - minor brands from the 1930's: (Sept/2011) In the later 1930's General Brewing Corporation was the 3rd largest California brewer behind Acme and Rainier Brewing. With its popular "Lucky Lager" leading the way, the brewery grew rapidly and by the late 1950's peaked as the leading beer seller in California. Including several other brewery plants in other states, Lucky during that time had become around 12th largest national brewer. However during the 1960's, Lucky Lager fortunes changed completely as it steadily lost market share to Coors, Olympia, Budweiser, etc. Lucky Lager Beer cans from the 1950's are among the most common ones found and dumped in its marketing areas. In contrast, the picture shows five minor brands from the 1930's-1940's that have been found on-grade in only limited numbers, and in lesser amounts from dumps too: (*footnote at end for Lucky Ale "Christmas" can that has never been dumped, so isn't included.) |
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G is for Globe Brewing Company, San Francisco: (Sept/2011) Globe Brewing Company was a very small brewery in San Francisco that closed in August, 1938. It was located at NW corner of Greenwich and Sansome Streets directly below Coit Tower and what has been the Julius Castle Restaurant. Of breweries in Calif. that canned beer, based upon a 1936 ranking of breweries using information at the former California Brewers Association in San Francisco's Russ Building, only Salinas Brewing ranked smaller. |
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In the past, Information has been limited on the employees and background of the Globe Brewing Company. However in 2010, Gary Flynn for his www.brewerygems.com prepared a very detailed description of the brewery and its activities that is now under the website's heading, "Brewery Histories", which goes along well with the many other informative topics Gary has done. Within a three year interval, Globe sold canned beer with four interestingly designed labels, Nu Globe, Fort Sutter, Log Cabin, and Primo - with the last now being Globe's rarest brand in cans. These four labels in "store condition" were among the many earlier California beer cans saved by Charles Coffey, who started in a small Sierra town in 1936. Helpfully for collectors, several of these brands - often with one on-grade side for display - have been dug in fairly good numbers from dumps in the Sierra Mountains. Around 2005, five grade 1 and better Log Cabin cans were found in a house wall, reportedly in the Mt. Shasta area, but on-grade examples of the other brands are scarce. Click here for brewery photos Top |
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G is for Gold and Silver Mug cans: (Sept/2011) Two metallic cans by Lebanon Valley Brewing Co for "P. Donohue and Son, Rt 38, Maple Shade Township, New Jersey. Later 1950's cans with one of the more intricate label designs that understandably tend to tarnish and limited numbers of on-grade examples are in collections. Dumpers are also only found in limited numbers in poor condition. Top |
| G is for Golden Glow Beer and Ale: (Sept/2011) Just east of the present Oakland West BART station was located the Golden West Brewery that also operated in that location before Prohibition - shown is a factory scene beer tray. These two cans were the first in a series of beer and ale labels used by the brewery until it sold out to Goebel Brewing of Detroit in 1949 but that venture ended in 1955. However, the brewery building was used again during 1958-1960 as Pacific Brewing, which had over 15 graphic and often metallic labels. Top |   |
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G is for Grace Brothers Ale: (Sept/2011) This can was found by Ken Jerue (former BCCA member) around 1974, reportedly in a Los Angeles store and is from the Grace Brothers Brewery in Los Angeles that started in 1937. Ken Jerue was one of the more colorful 1970's collectors who attended several early Canventions from Geneva on, and who last lived on Brookhurst in Fullerton, Calif. He accumulated several collections, selling the first one to Ron Moermond around 1973; then starting another collection but died driving down the highway from Lake Arrowhead around 1976. Top |
G is for Greater New York Brewery: (Sept/2011) This brewery holding company canned a variety of brands, including the colorful trio of New Yorker Beer, Ale, and Half and Half cans. A detailed history on Greater New York Brewery is at Rustycans.com by Mark Benbow, Ph.D. under his topic, "Can of the Month" - Lion Ale. Of the breweries bought by Greater New York around 1940, only the former Lion Brewery bought in May, 1941 had had a flat top canning line. In less than a year, that brewery location was closed in the first part of 1942. |
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(Ernie Oest was not able to photograph this brewery building, as it was torn down in the 1940's). If the New Yorker cans were filled at the former Lion Brewery location, then the short operating interval is the easiest explanation why these cans are very scarce in on-grade condition and in lesser grades. -----New Yorker can examples: ----On grade examples: ---The Class Book (1982) by Jeffrey Cameron shows a trio of New Yorker cans, Ale, Beer, and Half and Half. These cans still have their original top lids, on which their brand names have been printed - an unusual feature for beer cans in general - and are pictured above. The provenance for these cans is in the following section, "The Class Book trio of New Yorkers." ---In the mid-1980's Paul Michel and Dick Caughey (BCCA #21090) bought a collection on Long Island, and in it were a number of early cans, many with their top lids cut off, including the three New Yorker brands. They heard the cans had been collected by a "musician in the Bronx" - that man would be another in a small group known today, who might be called "original collectors". ---In the early 1980's Harvey Lambert, an active Los Angeles collector from the mid 1970's to around 1990, found flat sheets of at least the New Yorker Beer and Half and Half (along with a Buckingham Ale, and maybe a Golden Rod.) Likely other examples are around, and in a starting survey of on-grade New Yorker cans currently in collections, Marc Tracy BCCA #27810 knows of three all-original Half and Half cans; at least two Ales and 2-3 Beers, along with several rolled examples for the Beer and Half and Half brands. ----Lesser grade examples: ---New Yorker Ale: A rare can to dig and Dave Lang's view in February, 2011 (BCCA #83 who writes one of the BCCA magazine's highlight columns, "Beer Can Archeology": "As to the Ale and Half and Half, if any of us ever dug one of either of those, it would represent one of the all-time great finds regardless of condition. IMO, better than even a Rosalie find." Marc Tracy knows of 3 or 4 or more New Yorker Ale "rub outs" that were overprinted with a Ruppert brand. ---New Yorker Beer: A limited number of the Beers reportedly have been dug in at least five states, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland ("Greenbelt dump"). Also some "inside" but grade 1-/2+, examples have turned up, such as several on ebay during 2008-10. ---New Yorker Half and Half: Apparently only a very limited number of these have been dug. ---- The Class Booktrioof New Yorkers - the provenance this New Yorker Ale goes back to the 1975; and for the New Yorker Beer and Half and Half, to a collector who had stopped collecting in 1951. --- New Yorker Ale: ---In the U.S. Guide to Beer Cans (1975) by BCCA, a New Yorker Ale and a New Yorker Half and Half are pictured. Based upon an identifying pattern of small nicks at the top of the New Yorker Ale, Marc Tracy and others have seen the same pattern of nicks on the example pictured later in Ressel's BCU (1976), Jack Martel's Bible (1976). and The Class Book (1982). The collector who provided the Ale for the picture in the 1975 BCCA book isn't known widely known currently, but maybe the largest grouping of early cans that was a source of pictures for that book, was a collection bought by three St. Louis area collectors in the early 1970's. Bob McClure (BCCA #104) says three former BCCA members, Henry Herbst, Robert Eckert, and Hal Leeker together bought a collection from an "Eastern non-collector" that, very unusually, included over 90 quarts (all of which were pictured in the 1975 BCCA book, including the Peroni and Lion Ale qts.) and a number of 12 oz. cans. These three collectors were known to have generously contributed their time and cans from their collections for pictures in this first book showing many beer cans. In the 1980 Garard Collection only had a New Yorker Ale and New Yorker Half and Half (click for page in the Garard Collection Sale listing New Yorker Ale and Half and Half). Those two cans are noted with "CP" - the indication used in sales catalog to note cans that have been pictured in BCU and Jack Martel's Bible; also an estimate was given that "2" examples of each were known at that time. --- New Yorker Beer, Half and Half: Per Norm Meier (BCCA #30555), the New Yorker Beer and the New Yorker Half and Half cans pictured in the Class Book were in the collection of John Paul (former BCCA #42) in Cincinnati, who had an extensive collection of older cans. Norm Meier visited John Paul many times in the 1970's and saw the two New Yorker brands. --- With the above New Yorker Ale, together with the New Yorker Beer and Half and Half that had been in John Paul's collection, this trio of New Yorker brands for the first time was pictured in a beer can book, The Class Book (1982). (Slightly earlier, the trio had been assembled by one collector.) Around 1985, the Class Book trio of New Yorkers was bought by Harvey Lambert. Not long after, around 1986 at a Showboat Casino show in Las Vegas, several collectors who were there, such as Tom Leo, Glenn Hintz, and Gene DiCicco, recall that Harvey was offering the trio for sale. The trio was bought by Dave Stark at that show, and he held them until selling his collection in late 2007. ---Numbers on the bottom lids of New Yorker cans: These numbers are likely dates, and look similar to numbers seen on Lion Brewery cans, which is an indication that the New Yorker cans were filled at the former Lion Brewery. --Class Book trio have these numbers on their bottom lids: Beer 42 86; Ale, 412?5 (the "?" might be a 9); Half and Half, 41309 --The New Yorker Half and Half that is thought to have been in the Garard Collection is likely the example bought in 1981 by a mid-western collector who currently still has that can and these numbers are on bottom lid: 42 71 Neither the Ale nor the Half and Half, that are thought to be from the Garard Collection have stickers, but those were likely left off to show numbers on the bottom lids while also allowing the unusual printed brand names to show on the top lids. ----John Paul and his collection in Cincinnati: At the 1972 Geneva Canvention, John Paul's group of cans won the "Overall Display" award. Though he had many rarer 1930-40's cans, apparently none of his cans was pictured in any of the first three major beer can books, 1975 Guide by BCCA, BCU, or Jack Martel's Bible, since John Paul's name isn't listed as a contributor of cans for the pictures shown. In the Spring of 1981, John Paul sold his cans and then a number were pictured in The Class Book. The buyer asked John where many of the older cans were found, and helpfully has passed on the background John gave: Most of the better 1930's-1940's cans were part of a collection that was located in Akron, Ohio. John said that the cans had been collected by a man who had "worked in advertising" and lived in New York City - then retired to Akron. (This information gives more details than John Paul wrote in a short article in the December, 1971 BCCA magazine, in which he said he had gotten a lead from a customer in his print shop about a beer can collection. With his wife, they made a "568" mile drive and "brought home 170 very beautiful mint condition beer cans!". The collector had been a man who had passed away by that time, and who had "stopped saving beer cans in 1951.") A collector who lived in New York City, and then in Ohio, explains how that group of cans included early New York cans such as the New Yorker Beer, New Yorker Half and Half, two McSorley's Ales, etc., along with many Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania cans. ---Two other collectors who recall being in touch with John Paul. At Geneva Canvention Bob McClure (BCCA #104) saw that John had two McSorley's Ales: "I showed him a group of cans for trade and offered John his pick of several cans for his extra McSorley's Ale - John picked five Dreher Forte sports cans and we made the trade." After also first meeting John Paul at the Geneva Canvention, Bob Myers (BCCA #26) visited John several times in Cincinnati and saw his collection: "John was known as 'Paul the Printer' and kept his beer can collection in his print shop on Depot St. below Price Hill. When entering, what was seen first to the left was a most unusual 'collection' - nailed to the wall was a large mass of McDonald's cups, plates, wrappers, clam shells for hamburgers, etc." "Then farther along the wall, past a divider, was John's beer can collection with most of the older cans being in top shape. Besides the two different New Yorkers and a McSorley's Ale, were many early Ohio and Western Pennsylvania flats and cones, John Bull, Carnegie low profiles, etc.. From Michigan, there were three very little known cones at the time, E & B Ale, Phoenix, and I think there was an E &B Special - a very scarce cone before c1976 when several thousand were found in warehouse. Several trades were made, such as John wanted a 16oz. Soul Malt Liquor, which was exchanged for one of his top shape POC blue cones." Top |
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H is for Hohenadel Brewing located on Indian Queen Lane: (Sept/2011) A smaller-sized Philadelphia Brewery that actively canned beer in over 10 different Hohenadel and Indian Queen labels: several crowntainers, 12oz J spouts, high profile cones, and in quarts. Among the rarer labels in on-grade condition is the Indian Queen Ale J spout. On-grade Indian Queen Ale cans oddly may not have been in any of the "original" Eastern collections, Oest, Allis, Veselsky, Anderson, etc. and were rarely seen until in the early 1980's when four examples turned up, plus a few more since that time.
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| Dave Lang has mentioned finding in dumps a number of Indian Queen Ales, 12oz and quarts, at several places in Mass. (as has Keith Norton), New Hampshire, and Maine. Dave thinks the quality of the label coating was high since number of cans found were still in very good shape. The Hohenadel label in cans have been more common with at least one group of "inside" 12oz J spouts being found, but the white crowntainer has been scarce. Top |
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| H is for Humboldt: (Sept/2011) Humboldt Malt and Brewing, Eureka, Calif. was a small brewery set up (per Jack Nash, BCCA#1016 and President of Eureka Historical Society) by an ownership group outside of Eureka who wanted to produce beer from the waters of a special spring in the south part of town. The brewery was named for the local county. |  |
| The brewery had several different can brands, Associated, Eureka, and Brown Derby. Per Beer USA by Will Anderson, Western States Grocery Co. (later Safeway, which emphasized the Brown Derby brand) signed in 1933 a 10 year contract to buy the brewery's entire output. This Humboldt can was pictured in the Class book prepared by Jeff Cameron. Top | |
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H is for Horluck's: (Sept/2011) This can was one of two held by a woman in a town just on the "dry side" of the mountains east of Seattle and located by BCCA member Greg Stinza through his advertising contacts. She set them aside in her basement around 1940 and thought they stayed in top condition due being in the drier area where she lived. Top |
| I is for India Cerveza by Hornung: (Sept/2011) India was the main brand for a Puerto Rican brewery and apparently that brewery's first label in cans was this can filled by Hornung. A few years later, a similar label design was used on a can filled by the brewery in Puerto Rico. Greg Stinza, an active collector since the 1980's advertised widely and located this can which was found originally by a person in the framing of their home, protected from the weather. |  |
| This brand is one of the earliest examples of an American brewery filling beer for the Hispanic market; another a slightly earlier example was a copper Schlitz flat top for "Export." Top | |
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| J is for John Bull: (Sept/2011) From a small brewery in New Philadelphia, Ohio; while scattered examples of the high profile version of this label have been found, this low profile variation has been less seen and was in several collections, such as Joe Veselsky's and Will Anderson's, among other a few others. Top | |
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| J is for Jax Beer: (Sept/2011) The Jax brand was produced by two breweries in the South, and due to humidity, retaining most of the silver trim is rare for this late 1940's cone from Jacksonville, Florida was found by Dick Caughey. Top |
| J is for Jolly Scot Ale: (Sept/2011) The Robert H. Graupner Brewery of Harrisburg, Penna. operated until 1951 and had several brands in "J spouts" in the 1930's, among which were these two. Dick Caughey bought this Jolly Scot example from Fred Goodheart, a well regarded collector in Lexington, VA during November, 1991 - along with several other top shape cones such as SB. |  |
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Where Fred found this Jolly Scot isn't known directly, but this example could be the one that reportedly was found among "159 cans found in New Jersey, 1980", described in April/May 2007 BCCA article by Matt Menke. The can lists a "New York Sales Office" at 111 Broadway, which is the building just north of the Trinity Church. Top
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K is for Kaier's: (Sept/2011) The later Kaiers "high profile" cones are common, but this 1930's "J" spout is rare in approximately grade 1 condition and was found by a collector at a yard sale outside Philadelphia around 2000. A Kaiers Brewing family member recalled in 2002 seeing during the late 1930's this label in quart size, but not in 12oz size. It likely was a short run, and has been rarely seen in "on grade" condition. Top |
K is for Kiewel's: (Sept/2011) During the 1930's Kiewel's Brewery in Little Falls, Minn. used this "low profile" cone. These cones have remained rare and among the on-grade examples may be several in upper mid-west collections and other examples were in the Clay Tichelar collection and Ron Dick cone group. Clay's example was from the Continental Can photographer's group. Reportedly Ron Dick got his Kiewel's from Rollo Carlson of Waukesha, Wisconsin, formerly bcca #317, who found it in a Cando, North Dakota building in the late 1970's. Ron Dick of Burnsville, Minn. had one of the larger cone collections when he sold around 1981. The page attached is from his cone list showing his two highest asking prices: London Tavern Ale and Kiewel's at "$1750 up". A page from Ron Dick cone collection sale showing Kiewel's. Top
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K is for Kingsbeer from Montreal, Canada: (Sept/2011) Dawes Kingsbeer was one of the brands sold by National Breweries Limited, Montreal, Canada, along with Black Horse Ale, Dow Ale, etc. This Brewery organization had originated in 1909 with the combination of 14 independent breweries, and in 1952, the name was changed to Dow Brewery Limited. This cone top can was sold around 1950, and is relatively scarce compared to most other Canadian cone tops, among which are Black Horse, Dow Ale, Moosehead, Oland's, etc. This cone was in a small Roselle, Illinois collection of cans from the later 1940's and 1950's that was located through a newspaper ad by Bob Myers in 1970. The Kingsbeer flat top with the metallic blue label was distributed around 1960. Top |
| K is for Krueger's Beer and Ale: (Sept/2011) These two Krueger's brands (with the " 's" variation) are examples of the first can labels that held beer that were sold to the general public in the 1935-6 period. (Specialists have identified other cans with slight variations of these "Krueger's" labels that are thought to be the actual "first" cans from January, 1935.) Top |  |
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K is for Krug: (Sept/2011) The brand was used in 3 cans, two cone variations and one flat top for a liquor store chain in San Francisco. The two cones are slightly different with the rarer variety showing a woman standing. The other variety is similar but missing the woman. Top |
L is for Little Imp: (Sept/2011) A late 1940's metallic can by Southern Brewing in Los Angeles with one of the oddest beer brand names. While different stories on the origin of the name are heard, Ken Jerue (past BCCA member) was told by former brewery workers the story they had heard: a young daughter of an employee visited the brewery occasionally and she was called "Little Imp". During a meeting looking for new brand names, somebody suggested trying "Little Imp" and that brand was started. This is the can pictured in the Class Book by Jeff Cameron. Top |
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M is for McSorley's Ale by Rheingold: (Sept/2011) Since this Ale label has been rare when packaged in cans, apparently it was a minor seller for one of New York's major brewers (peaking at #8 Nationwide in 1965.) Perhaps the only multiple "find" of on-grade McSorley's Ale cans was by John Paul, a '60's-'70's collector in Cincinnati. John's beer can collection was "made" with one collection he bought in 1971 somewhere near the Ohio/PA border in 1971 (brief article in BCCA magazine.) Among this approx. 300 can group were the set of New Yorkers, a Clipper cone, and two McSorley's Ale cans. |
| The Joe Veselsky collection and a couple of others had the can, but most other examples are typically off grade due to the metallic label. Top | |
| M is for Monogram: (Sept/2011) One of the more colorful Grace Bros cans. For collectors, one of the first times this brand was seen was in the early 1970's at Chip Truett's (former BCCA #826) "Marvin Gardens Bar" display of beer cans in Belmont, Calif. He had found the label among a small group of older cans that had been saved by a collector in San Mateo County. Top |  |
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N is for National Brewing Co., Baltimore, Maryland: (Sept/2011) At the O'Donnell and Conkling corner was the National Brewing Co., and across O'Donnell, was Gunther Brewing Co. Since around 1850 there had been breweries in this area which became known as "Lager Brewery Hill". The picture shows five of the rarer and colorful cone tops that National Brewing used in the 1930's and 1940's. The high profile National Bohemian Bock and the low profile National Beer cones are the rarest ones in the picture, followed by the high profile National Ale and the Old Bohemian. The low profile National Ale is seen more but is still moderately scarce. The Brewery's lead brand, National Bohemian Beer, was also sold in a low profile cone and is the most commonly found 1930's cone from National Brewing. |
| The Bensonville, IL collection found by #701 Clay Tichelar had the rarest National Brewing Co. cone, the low profile National Bohemian Bock, and also an Old Bohemian. These two examples in the mid-1970's were the only ones known, but in the 1980's around a case of Old Bohemian cones were found, but it still remains scarce. In the 1930's National was smaller than several other breweries in Baltimore that also canned beer at the time, Gunther and Globe Brewing Co. However, by the early 1960's after several decades steady growth, National became the leading brewery in Baltimore selling National Bohemian Beer with the Mr. Boh icon, along with another brand, National Premium. This success was due to the over 900 workers at the O'Donnell plant; Brewmaster Carl Kreitler who made a beer that won local "blind tasting" tests; and the marketing by Dawson Farber, Jerry Di Paolo, etc., who sold the National brands into over 2500 outlets throughout Baltimore's many neighborhoods. National Brewing Co. also bought plants in Michigan, Florida, Arizona and developed several malt liquors, such as Colt 45 in 1963 which grew to a coast-to-coast distribution, along with French 76, and 007 Special Blend - beer and malt liquor. However by the late 1960's the majors with their economies of scale that reduced unit costs, engaged in aggressive price competition along with heavy marketing via television and "behind-the-bar" distributions of glassware, draft beer equipment, etc. These methods added challenges to even a strong regional brewery as National Brewing and it merged with Carling in 1975. As of 2009, the largest remaining building of the former National Brewing complex is the 10 story former Brew House at O'Donnell and Conkling that was built in the early 1950's and is now the Natty Boh Tower. These buildings and others, including ones at the Gunther Brewing location, are part of a 27 acre mixed-use development called Brewers Hill. Top |
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N is for Nu Deal: (Sept/2011) A name variation on government programs in the Depression by Grace Brothers Brewing of Santa Rosa. Scattered examples of this can have been found such as 4 at the San Mateo Flea Market in the 1970's, and in dumps. Top |
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N is for Neuweiler's Bock: (Sept/2011) One of two beer cans pictured on the front of the BCCA book, United States Beer Cans. However the cover example may be an "improved" photo of a lesser grade Neuweiler's Bock. |
| Over the years a number of Neuweiler's Bocks have been found in dumps in Northeastern Penn., and reportedly also in New York and Virginia. Among the cleaner examples: a scratched can, that was kept in a workshop to hold screws/bolts; an on-grade example, one of a several mugs, picked up by the neighbor of a man who reportedly had worked at some unnamed brewery. The group of mugs turned up on Long Island in 2007, and the others were: Trommers bock, Senate bock, Feigenspan beer, Ballantine's, and a Dartmouth Reunion Can 1941 - all appeared to be from the around 1940 era. Top | |
| O is for Old Reading "J" spout: (Sept/2011) The Old Reading brand has been canned in a number of beer can types, and the "J" spout version was distributed around the 1940 years. The "J" spout has been scarce in on-grade condition due to the metallic label, and per specialist Marc Tracy, apparently only 4 on-grade examples are generally known: --one was turned up by a dealer in the late 1970's that was gotten by Bob Myers who sold it around 1982 to Jeff Smith; this example could be the one that ended up in the Dave Stark collection. --another was found in Penna. during the 1980's and was in Bob McCoy's collection for a number of years. |
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| --a 3rd example had been part of a small collection for years, having been found in Penna. during the 1970's. --4th example around grade 1 condition: after being in another Chicago collection for some years, in 2004 it was sold to an Eastern collector. Top |
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O is for Oldstyle Lager Beer: (Sept/2011) This label was used on quarts by the brewery in Port Orchard, WA - across the bay south of the Bremerton Naval Yard, but this 12oz can was filled by a brewery in Salem, Oregon. Top |
| P is for Penguin: (Sept/2011) While most Horlacher brands are commonly found, Penguin brand in cans has rarely been dug and few on-grade examples are known, including several (?) rolled examples. For a documented purchase of the brand, Will Anderson in October, 1961 picked up two Penguins, keeping one which was sold with most of his cans around 1982; and passing the other on to Bob Myers - the one pictured which has Penn. tax stamp. As a possible help in digging others, Will doesn't recall for sure which town he bought them, but probably in Hancock, New York along old Rt 17. |  |
| A reference to the brand is in an early 1980's Beer Cans Monthly: a "Virginia" collector is noted as digging some Penguins but a location was not given. Top | |
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P is for Peter Doelger: (Oct/2011) The Peter Doelger Brewing Company, after around 1858, was at its 407 E., 55th St. location, growing to become a major New York City brewery, eventually occupying most of that city block. By the time of Prohibition, the area around 55th and Sutton Place South (formerly Avenue A) was becoming a high-end residential area with valuable real estate. (A number of other New York City brewing families such as Ehret, Ruppert, and Schaefer who owned plant locations originally built in commercial areas north of the early population centers on Manhattan, benefitted greatly with the rise of real estate values as the City expanded over many decades.) |
| In "Beers, Breweries, & Breweriana" Will Anderson wrote that "after Repeal the company reopened at 505 W. 125th St.", and in 1937 moved operations to Harrison, New Jersey, remaining until 1948. (That location was the former Hauck Brewery, and at least one marriage had taken place between members of the Hauck and Doelger families.) Produced at the Harrison location were Peter Doelger Ale, Beer, Bock OI cans, and the metallic Peter Doelger First Prize Beer in IRTP, and the rarer variation, "Withdrawn Free" - an example of the latter is pictured. The Ale and Bock brands have been found in more limited numbers than the Peter Doelger Beer. The Ale example pictured was bought in the 1990's by Ken Ostrow at a New Hampshire show from an antique dealer who travelled the New England/upstate New York area. Top |
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P is for Pilser's brands: (Sept/2011) Pilser's Brewery (location of the pre-Prohibition A. Hupfel Brewery) was in the Bronx and in the 1930's produced three "J spouts", Pilser's Ale, Beer, and Half and Half which are scarce in on-grade condition, with the "Beer" being the rarest. Old Dutch Brewers of Brooklyn (the first brewery for the Hertzberg brewery group per Will Anderson's "Breweries of Brooklyn") bought the former Pilser's Brewery and both locations operated until 1948. The Hertzberg group also bought the former Fidelio Brewery in Manhattan at 1st and 29th streets, operating it under the Metropolis name from 1946 to 1953 - among these breweries a number of brands were produced. Per Tom Leo, two of the rarest Pilser's brands are flat tops: the IRTP gray "beer" from Old Dutch in Brooklyn and the "bock" from Metropolis in New York. Since the Pilser's Bock has no IRTP statement, apparently it was produced in Manhattan's Metropolis Brewery some time around or after 1950 during that brewery's last years - which explains the can's rarity. (The Hertzberg brewery group produced a variety of Old Dutch cans in Brooklyn and later a number of other brands in its many breweries outside New York City. One of those was the "Bock Brand" that continued the same goat design as in the Pilser's Bock.) |
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R is for Red Lion Ale: (Sept/2011) which in the picture is paired with the Burger Beer low profile cone from Burger Brewing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio - "vas you efer in zinzinnati" and having a comical-looking camel shown. Red Lion Ale was one of the first cones filled (the most common variety has the flat bottom) and also ranks among the most graphic of beer cans. Burger Brewing continued operating until 1973 as a strong regional brewer that had many cone and flat top designs, but only a couple of its later brands approached the colorful graphics of the early Red Lion Ale low profile cone: --its late 1940's Burger Brau cone showing a Germanic-appearing beer drinker with a green hat holding a beer stein. --a Red Lion Malt Liquor tab-top issued just a few years before the brewery closed. |
| Before Prohibition the predecessor brewery name to Burger was the "Lion Brewery", which prominently highlighted a lion, and also several in a group, in its advertising. When starting cans in the mid 1930's, Burger management likely wanted to continue with the Pre Prohibition local icons, but must have quickly found that 1930's beer drinkers didn't connect with the "Lion" icon for some reason, as had past generations and the brewery moved ahead with new marketing approaches. ---Regarding the comical-looking camel shown on the Burger cans, thanks to historian Mark Benbow, Ph.D for background information: |
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Burger Brewing also has its name on a large-sized can showing a camel with the words on its saddle blanket: Are you thirsty? Before and during Prohibition, unhappy camels were used such as in the picture with the words: Lansing is Dry! Oh ' Whats the use? At home, I sometimes had to go without a drink for ten days. Here I can never get a drink when I want it. Quoting Dr. Benbow, who has more information on the subject: "It's a swipe at the Prohibitionists. The "Are You Thirsty?" slogan fits perfectly. The Drys used the camel as one of their symbols in the years before 1919 (along with an umbrella), but so did the Wets. Generally if it looks thirsty its from a wet place, if not, then its pro-dry." Top |
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S is for San Francisco Brewing: (Sept/2011) In late 1936 San Francisco Brewing was the 5th largest brewery in San Francisco, located at 470 10th St. By the early 1950's, led by its popular Burgermeister Beer, it and General Brewing were the two largest breweries in San Francisco. In 1956 the name was changed to Burgermeister Brewing, and a few years later in 1961, the brewery was sold to Schlitz. Over a 25 year interval, the Burgermeister label was updated from its classic style 1930's Beer and Ale designs in following years, by a sequence of cans with a younger-looking man shown. A Lucky Lager employee in the 1970's said the youngest man's image on the last two cans, was a modeled after Burgermeister brewery employee at the time who lived in the Richmond district. |
Of the cans pictured, the 1930's Beer and Ale cans in on-grade condition are moderately scarce, but the other labels are common except for the 10oz can of which very few are known in on-grade condition. The can pictured was collected by Wally Gilbert in the 1980's. Per Ed Scoglietti (an active beer can collector with the website, oldbeercans.com), a few examples of the 10oz size have been dug in Alaska, and another example was found among a large group of Burgermeister Beer cans in the Markleeville, Calif. area (Carson Pass.) |
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| Besides its Burgermeister brand sequence of 12oz cans, quart-sized cans with the 1930's Beer and Ale label were filled, and in the mid-1950's another quart label was sold that matched the beer brand at the time. The brewery also sold beer in a number of secondary or private label 12oz cans such as Wilshire Club Beer and Ale, Brau Haus, Pilsengold. Alpen Glow, etc. - see W is for Wilshire Club Ale. The rarest quart from the brewery is the metallic Golden State Beer. On grade examples of the Golden State quart are scarce and have been located in the Reno, Nevada area and in Oregon State. Off grade examples have been found in several locations around California and in at least one other state. Top |
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S is for Schwegmann bock: (Sept/2011) Schwegmann was a grocery store chain in New Orleans which had several brands made by a Chicago brewery, the rarest being Schwegmann Bock. Some "rolled" examples have been assembled and possibly 6 or more are in collections. Two cans were picked up by Bob Myers at a Schwegmann store on Rt 90 going east out of New Orleans in December, 1961; at that time in the middle of an aisle was a large pile of Schwegmann bock cans in cases, 5-6 high and several wide extending back 10 feet or so. The example pictured is one of those two cans with the other one going to Will Anderson who sold it with his collection around 1982. Top |
S is for Sheridan Beer: (Sept/2011) While found in dumps in the Wyoming and Montana area, examples with full colors are scarce and this can was one of 4 found in early 2000 by a worker looking for scrap metal in the crawl space under the Armory in Lander, Wyoming. For an oddity of apparently unrelated timing, he found them just before an article on Sheridan was published in the BCCA magazine. Top |
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S is for Silver State: (Sept/2011) This brand was seen by most collectors for the first time at the 1974 Denver Canvention and was among the cans Clay Tichelar found in the Bensonville, IL cone collection. Since that time another 4-6 fairly good shape examples have been found, along with dumpers. This can was traced back to a Chico, Calif. bar collection of cones and flats acquired by Randy McMahon, which had been bought from an original collector, whose name is now unknown, around 1970. Top |
| S is for Spearman Beer and Ale cones: (Sept/2011) The Spearman Brewing Company of Pensacola, Florida started with the two cones pictured in the late 1940's. The rarest cone has been the "Draft Beer", one of which reportedly was located around 1980 in a small 40 can collection by Craig Hasslinger of Baltimore and Ken Hostetter.Top |   |
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S is for St. Claire Beer and Ale: (Sept/2011) A small brewery in San Jose, Calif. that discontinued business in 1939, which also had a number of other brands, Old Gold, Pilsenbrau, Steinbrau, Black and White, etc., that were used later by other Calif. breweries. Top |
| S is for Stroud Beer and Ale: (Sept/2011) These two cans from National Can Company were sold by a short-lived, very small brewery in Stroudsburg, PA that operated during 1935-1937. On-grade and dumper examples are always a highlight for collectors to find. On-grade examples exist in limited numbers with the rarest variation thought to be the Beer pictured that has "Distributor" and the address "2 W. 45th St., New York City" - a 1910-era office building located in Midtown Manhattan just off 5th Ave., which indicates the Brewery was trying a high-quality marketing approach. Click here to show a picture of the brewery - for a very small brewery, an architecturally interesting building. Top | .jpg) |
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T is for Tally Ho Ale and Beer: (Sept/2011) Per Will Anderson, the brewery was in Ridgewood, Long Island on the Queens side of the Queens/Kings (Brooklyn) border going along Cypress Ave. This brewery originally had several other names, such as the Frank Brewery, but in the 1920's became The City Brewing Corp. After Prohibition new management of John Koenig, President, Henry Rauch, Treasurer, and Frederick Paulsen, Secretary started brewing and selling under the Tally Ho labels. In earlier variations of the brands, their names were prominently shown on the can's front. |
| During the years before World War II, Tally Ho was distributed widely around Brooklyn and Queens, including sales to South American and the Philippines (one withdrawn free cone for a 3rd variation of the beer was apparently found by Clay Tichelar #701). After World War II, the name was changed to Greater New York Brewery which began emphasizing a number of other brands. Sales were lost during the 1949 New York City beer strike, and the brewery discontinued in 1950. Tom Leo first heard about this Tally Ho Ale example in the early 1980's which had been found by a long time collector from Liberty, NY who found it in the Catskills. It was placed in a Paul Michel auction and bought by a Texas collector. Another example of the Tally Ho Ale was recovered from trash during the 1980's in Long Beach, Calif., along with over 30 early Calif. and New York area cans such as Doelger Bock, etc. However, due to very poor storage most of these cans were grade 3 when examined by Gene DiCicco around 2002 prior to their sale. Most of the other Ale examples found, so far, have been other dumpers, including a grade 2-ish Tom Leo had. Two of the three variations of Tally Ho Beer are shown: the rarer beer variety is the one with the names of the owners; several of the more common beer variety that have been found occasionally, have been in collections such as Will Anderson's and Joe Veselsky's, among others. Around 2003, 4-5 of the more common beer variety were found by an electrician in a New York City school per Keith Belcher, BCCA member. Click for brewery photo. Top |
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| T is for Tornberg's Old German: (Sept/2011) from El Rey Brewing San Francisco in the late 1930's. ("Tornberg" may have been the name of a pre-Prohibition brewmaster in San Francisco who worked at several breweries.) Two examples in different conditions for this brand are shown as a pairing that could be done with nearly all the beer cans on this website. One example is in "on-grade" condition; the other is in the category of an "under-the-house" or "off-grade" can. Since photos need to be limited, most cans pictured are "on-grade" cans to show as possible the original colors and design, which is the typical approach when assembling pictures of coins, stamps, etc. |
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| ----Importantly however, from a beer can collector's perspective both cans are collectible and are essentially equal, since either one would serve well as an example of this brand. ----- (From a non-collector seller's perspective, an on-grade example usually has an advantage of selling at a higher value - when a buyer is found.) While the on-grade Tornberg's shows some colors and words better, the "under-the-house" category can has an advantage that it is an "authentic" beer can since it was found discarded with other beer cans that are known to have contained beer. There can be an uncertainty with some "on-grade" cans if they contained beer or not. Many collectors only collect "authentic" beer cans that have been dug or found discarded to avoid ending up with "test" or other types of fabricated cans that likely didn't hold beer or were sold to the public - for those cans that they didn't buy in a store or know someone who bought it. This "off-grade" example was located by Gene Dicicco in the 1980's. In response to a newspaper ad, a roofer contacted Gene about 10 cans found in an attic while reroofing a one-story commercial building in Watsonville. Besides the Tornberg's, among the other cans was an ever rarer can: the red/gold opening directions Lucky Ale. On-grade examples of the two variations of the Tornberg's Old German cones have been scarce with examples being found in the Clovis, Calif. collection with Associated paper label can, etc. and other groups since the early 1970's, such as in the Mercier "find". Off-grade examples have also been relatively rare, but have been dug in various locations around Northern Calif. Top |
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T is for Townhouse: (Sept/2011) One of the 5 Monarch brewing cans in the group of cans found by Tom Leo around 1984, most of which are bottom opened. Top |
T is for Travis Dark Beer and Travis Beer: (Sept/2011) Two brands from the Sabinas Brewing Co. in San Antonio, Texas, which operated from 1934 to 1939. Sabinas was one of the earlier brewers to can beer, and besides "Beer", the other brand included the word "Dark". "Dark" has been seen on other beer labels, and sometimes the German name was used directly as a brand, Dunkel Brau. Until more information is ever developed, the likely individualistic taste of the Travis "Dark" variation may not be known. Typically "dark" has been a generalized category that could include Bock, Stout, and Porter, or referred to creative steps and ingredients that an individual brewmaster used with deeper colored malt, roasted malt, even honey, etc. Both of the Travis low profile cones are lesser seen on grade and from dumps, with the "dark" variation being the scarcer of the two." Top |
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T is for Trenton J: (Sept/2011) "On-grade" Trenton J's known in collections by J spout specialist Marc Tracy: |
---A Trenton J was brought to a 1980's BCCA Canvention by a New Jersey collector who had found it at a flea market. Dick Caughey and Tom Waggoner "flipped" for the cone, with Tom winning the can and keeping it for some years until trading to an Eastern collector. ---A 3rd, and a lesser on-grade example, was offered for sale in summer of 2009 by Breweriana.com. Earlier it had been displayed for some years at Wilson's Auctioneers and Appraisers in Chester Heights, PA, who sold it at the end of April, 2009 along with the 3rd Class can. |
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U is for Utica Club Famous Sparkling Ale: (Sept/2011) Two examples of this, rarer "high profile" variation, were found by Bob Myers and Will Anderson in an abandoned house south of Tupper Lake in the 1960's, plus scattered others have been found and were in collections. Top |
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V is for Vernon Brewing Company: (Sept/2011) In 1936 the Vernon Brewing Company was ranked 14th in production of around 32 breweries in California. In the October 1998 BCCA magazine, Dan Andrews described the brewery as having a smaller sized plant, 25,000 barrels, and early-on was marketing three labels in beer cans: Vernon Creme Beer, Golden Creme Ale, and Golden Creme Beer. All three labels are very rare in on-grade condition and only lesser seen in better off-grade conditions. As has been found in other metropolitan areas of the country, one reason for the rarity of beer cans produced by "big city" smaller breweries is that when the cans were distributed locally, they typically were discarded into "big city" dumps that are now long covered over. |
| Vernon Creme Beer: One on-grade example was in the Mercier collection, and Dick Caughey found another one, but the brewery's small size has resulted in few on-grade examples being found. Scattered off-grade examples have uncovered occasionally. |  |
| Golden Creme Ale: One "under the house" grade example was among the many other beer can brands found by Wally Gilbert in his 1971 Wagon Wheel dance hall "find", and the can is pictured in Ressel's Beer Cans Unlimited book. An on-grade example of Golden Creme Ale was part of the "Army Officer" collection found in 1984 by Tom Leo and Dick Caughey; in 2001 another on-grade example was sold by an antique dealer in the San Gabriel Valley. This example reportedly had had a paper label on it, as the can had been "recycled" to hold another product. In off-grade condition, some of the best dumpers have been found by Ed Scoglietti. Golden Creme Beer: Among the first examples of the label were found in the 1970's by Dale Bramlette of Bishop, Calif., but other examples have been scarce. In the early 1990's, three on-grade examples reportedly were found in Riverside and bought by Dan Andrews. He held the can pictured until he died; Dan was well known for his collecting camaraderie, and contributions of many BCCA articles on breweries and beer can history. Top |
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V is for Valley Forge Bock: (Sept/2011) An opening direction variation of one of the longer lasting bock brands from 1930's to 1960's. Top |
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W is for White Cap and Red Fox Ale: (Sept/2011) Largay Brewing in Waterbury, Connecticut was run by George Largay and the brewery is well described in Beer New England by Will Anderson. Before Prohibition George Largay had been a brewmaster, and as written by Will Anderson: "Prohibition gave George Largay a good chance to reflect... and to realize that he'd like to operate his own brewery." This yearning to start a brewery was common among many Pre Prohibition brewmasters by the early 1930's, and a number of them did start breweries, even though they were often in their 60's. (Another such brewmaster, owner of the Delatron Brewery in Reading, Ohio - London Bobby, Gotham brands were canned, will be described by Robert Musson in his next book on Ohio breweries.) |
| George Largay purchased the former Hellman Brewery in Waterbury. He picked "Red Fox" for a brand partly as a result of his hunting interests and respect for the animal - a name that connected with the snappy slogan: "Just what you have been hunting for". ("Red Fox" as a brand wasn't new to New England; as Ken Ostrow found, it was used by a Massachusetts brewery before Prohibition.) Largay Brewing expanded to a capacity of 150,000 barrels and the Red Fox brands sold well for a small town brewery, but especially after World War II, George Largay saw the building cost pressures from having to compete with the advertising economies of scale gained by the large regional's and the unending supply of beer and ale being sent ("dumped in Connecticut"?) by the New York City breweries. In 1947 Largay's brands and equipment were sold to Ruppert, which canned the Red Fox label in it's short lived Norfolk, Virginia brewery. The architecturally interesting Waterbury brewery building was later torn down, "replaced" by an apartment building of routine design. For Largay, the Red Fox Beer and Ale brands label were the main sellers, and were canned in 12oz and quart sizes. On what must have been a very limited basis, the White Cap label was canned in 12oz and quart size. The pictured White Cap qt. was originally in the Clay Tichelar collection that was part of the Bensonville, IL group saved by a photographer at Continental Can. The 12oz Red Fox Ale cone to the right was found, still in grade 1+ condition, in the attic of the Owls Head, NY railroad station by Bob Myers and Will Anderson. The bright and colorful Red Fox Ale cans have been found in only limited numbers, and remain one of the more popular designs for collectors. Top |
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| W is for Wilshire Club Ale: (Sept/2011) Burgermeister Beer and Ale were the main labels of San Francisco Brewing at its South of Market 10th St. brewery. Mostly in the 1930's the brewery also had a number of other colorful labels, Alpen Beer Glen/Glow Beer and Ale, Brau Haus, Pilsengold, Willows, and Wilshire Beer/Ale. One of the rarer cans to dig is the Wilshire Club Ale. Only two of the Ale cans have been found by Dale Bramlette, which considering all the digging in California Dale has done over many decades, shows the Ale must have had limited distribution. A few limited finds of Ale have been made, such as Ed Scoglietti knows of 3-4 of the Ales, with "Keglined" on front, that were found in Martinez, Calif. However, in contrast to the usual ratio of many cans being found in off-grade condition for each on-grade example, 13 sets of the Wilshire Club Beer and Ales were saved as mugs by a former brewery employee. As described in an October, 2002 BCCA magazine article, these sets were uncovered by Gene DiCicco in the mid 1980's and most of the cans now in collections have been given a lid. Top |
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W is for Wolf's Beer and Golden Age Beer: (Sept/2011) These are the two brands in cones (also in quart size for at least the Golden Age brand too) produced by a small brewery in the suburbs west of Philadelphia. The Wolf's cone was found by Dick Caughey in the 1980's. The Golden Age cone was located by John Kretschmer who said it had been found in a row house in Washington, DC in the late 1990's by a renovator who saw three cans under the floor boards (also a Gunther IRTP flat top, and a low profile National cone.) Top |
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