Adler Brau Beer Flat Top Can

Appleton's Adler Brau Flat Top

The Adler Brau Beer flat top can is a celebrated piece of Wisconsin breweriana from the Geo. Walter Brewing Company of Appleton, Wisconsin. The brewery traced its lineage back to the mid-nineteenth century along the Fox River, where German immigrant George Walter took over operations before the enterprise formally incorporated under his name. The brewery adopted "Adler Brau"—deriving from the German word for eagle—as its signature brand, incorporating classic heraldic eagle motifs and bold typography.

Lithographed by major container manufacturers including the American Can Company, the can served as the flagship container for the brewery's distribution across the Fox River Valley. For collectors, the label exists with notable variations across production batches. Standard versions feature central panels finished in cream or clean white tones, set against dark border bands and banner ribbons. An especially sought-after variation features a metallic silver finish across the body. Other minor differences include subtle adjustments in font placement, mandatory brewery text wording, and ribbon flare shaping.

The Geo. Walter Brewing Company operated out of its central facility at Walnut and Lawrence streets before closing in the 1970s. Following the dismantling of the historic downtown brewery plant, surviving Adler Brau cans remain prized artifacts representing twentieth-century Fox Valley brewing heritage.