The Very First Beer Can |
In actuality, the idea of the beer can evolved much earlier via a carefully chosen test market of Richmond, VA. Since 1909 the American Can Co. had been experimenting with packaging beer in cans. Why? Did advantages exist? Of course, but not without challenges. Let's take a look...
Advantages - Where the glass bottles were weighty, the cans were light weight being they were made of cheap aluminum, thus reducing shipping costs. Cans were not breakable, dent maybe, but they would not chip or crack. Bottles were returnable but each had to be hand sorted for the slightest cracks or chips in the glass made them unusable. The can offered a larger, smoother surface which provided greater area for the labeling. Marketing was a huge factor in the development and progression of the beer can.
Challenges - Beer reacted unfavorably with some metals. What good would come from the can if the beverage were undrinkable? The pressure of carbonated beer was also challenging for the cans would have to be able to contain up to 80 pounds per inch of pressure!
Krueger Finest Beer - Cone Top Can |
The Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company in Newark, New Jersey was the first to submit their beer to the American Can Co. for packaging. In order to use the bottling lines already established, the first can was designed with a cone top much like the original bottles. As breweries went out of business or upgraded their equipment, the cone top cans slowly disappeared and by 1960 were gone entirely. Thus, entered the pop top, which has its own story!
Vintage Beer Cans |
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