Aero Club Pale Select Beer Cone Top Can

Mid-Century Idaho Brewing History

This 12-ounce high-profile cone top can represents Aero Club Pale Select Beer, packaged by East Idaho Brewing, Inc. in Pocatello, Idaho. Manufactured by the Continental Can Company, this example carries the mandatory "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" (IRTP) statement, indicating its post-World War II production period before federal tax notices were phased out. Across the bottom gold border, the can displays the state-specific regulatory statement: "DOES NOT CONTAIN MORE THAN 3.2% OF ALCOHOL BY WEIGHT". The artwork prominently showcases an aviation motif centered around a winged shield and crown emblem above cursive script branding.

The Aero Club Brand

Aero Club was introduced in late 1944 under brewery manager Ernest Morris Rosauer, replacing Alt Heidelberg as the firm's flagship offering. To support regional expansion, a dedicated distribution arm was established in 1946, moving product across Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. The brand embraced clean mid-century graphics and an aviation theme that resonated throughout the postwar period, remaining East Idaho Brewing's primary brand until the company's final years.

East Idaho Brewing History

The brewing facility in Pocatello traced its roots back to 1902 under early incarnations such as the American Brewing Company and later Franklin & Hayes Brewing Company. Following the repeal of Prohibition, operations resumed in 1935 as East Idaho Brewing Company. For a time, it operated under controlling ownership by Columbia Breweries before being acquired by Rosauer and local investors. Facing fierce pressure from large national shipping breweries and shrinking regional market share, the plant ceased operations in 1954.

Collecting Context

Idaho was home to very few packaging breweries during the mid-20th century, making cone tops from the state particularly desirable to collectors of Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest breweriana. The Aero Club label exists in multiple lithographed variations, reflecting changing tax requirements and various state-mandated alcohol control statements.