Bavarian's Old Style Beer Cone Top Can

Bavarian's Old Style Beer Cone Top

This 12-ounce cone top container was produced for the Bavarian Brewing Company, Inc. of Covington, Kentucky. The face of the can features a prominent "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" (IRTP) mandatory tax statement alongside its 12 fluid ounce volume marking, securely dating this container's design to the post-World War II period prior to the repeal of federal IRTP requirements in 1950. Visually, the label incorporates Bavarian's circular crest above the central branding, depicting twin rampant lions flanking a mash tun and brewing paddles topped with the initials "BC".

Brand History

Following the repeal of Prohibition and subsequent management reorganizations, the Bavarian Brewing Company revamped its core brand portfolio. In the 1940s, the brewery consolidated its draft and bottled lines under the flagship moniker "Bavarian's Old Style Beer". Heavily marketed across Northern Kentucky and the neighboring Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan market, the brand was promoted throughout the late 1940s and 1950s with sports-centric advertising campaigns such as "A Man's Sport – A Man's Beer". In the mid-1950s, a trademark dispute regarding the term "Old Style" prompted the brewery to phase out the moniker, rebranding their flagship packaging to "Bavarian/s Select Beer" by 1957.

The Brewery

The origins of the Bavarian Brewing Company trace back to 1866 in Covington, Kentucky. German immigrant Wilhelm Riedlin invested in the operation in 1882 and eventually assumed full ownership, incorporating the firm as the Bavarian Brewing Company in 1889. Under Riedlin's direction, the company grew into one of the largest brewing enterprises in Kentucky. Although Prohibition halted brewing operations, the brewery was revived in the 1930s by Riedlin's descendants, the Schott family. The brewery maintained regional independence until 1959, when it was acquired by International Breweries Inc., before final closure in 1966.

Collecting Context

Cans from Bavarian Brewing Company hold high regional appeal for collectors of both Kentucky and greater Cincinnati breweriana. The IRTP-era cone top represents an important packaging milestone, documenting the post-war phase when the regional giant first introduced canned beer before converting entirely to flat tops in the mid-1950s.