Barbarossa Beer Flat Top Can

Red Top's Barbarossa Flat Top

Produced by the Red Top Brewing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, this flat top container represents the brewery's flagship premium brand, Barbarossa Beer. Red Top operated out of the historic Dayton Street brewing facility following the repeal of Prohibition, distributing Barbarossa alongside its namesake ales and lagers until the company ceased Cincinnati operations in the late 1950s.

The can's central graphic draws directly from the German Kyffhäuser legend of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, known as Barbarossa ("Redbeard"). According to folklore, the medieval monarch sleeps beneath the Kyffhäuser mountain surrounded by flying ravens, waiting to awaken and bring prosperity to his realm. The can illustrates this scene in vivid detail, showing the crowned emperor with his flowing red beard seated on a stone throne, accompanied by hovering black ravens, an imperial German eagle shield, and gnome attendants serving foaming glassware from a wooden cask.

Flanking the intricate central illustration are ribbon banners featuring brand slogans, including "the Beer of pleasant memories" and a note highlighting the beverage as a premium brew prepared with exacting care. The lower margin carries the mandatory declaration identifying the Red Top Brewing Company of Cincinnati, U.S.A. Several manufacturing variations of Barbarossa flat top cans exist across the brand's production run, differing in statutory tax markings and mandatory phrasing.