Bb Special Export Beer Cone Top Can

Rainier BB Special Export Cone Top

The Can

This 12-ounce low-profile cone top was produced by the Continental Can Company, marked along the bottom seam with "C. C. CO. 32-A PAT. APPL'D FOR." Its side panel carries Continental Can's classic "Cap-Sealed" promotional text, heralding the advantages of canned packaging with lines such as "IT VISITS NO HOME BUT YOURS" and "No empties to return — No extras or deposits." The central navy blue band specifies that the beer was packaged for Better Buy Wholesale Grocers in Fresno, California, by Rainier Brewing Company, Inc. of San Francisco. The lower section displays the mandatory Internal Revenue tax-paid statement alongside California permit U-1101 and an explicit alcohol declaration stating the beverage contains not over 4% alcohol by weight.

The Brand

BB Special Export Beer served as a private store brand created for wholesale grocers in Northern and Central California, with the initials referencing the Better Buy brand. During the post-Prohibition era, wholesale grocery firms and merchant cooperatives routinely commissioned established regional breweries to package proprietary house brands. This strategy allowed independent retailers to market exclusive, budget-friendly packaged beer alongside prominent national labels. The label eventually disappeared as changing post-war distribution models diminished the role of independent wholesale grocery beer labels.

The Brewery

Rainier Brewing Company in San Francisco originated when the Seattle Brewing & Malting Company established a California facility at 15th and Bryant Streets to circumvent Washington state's early 1916 prohibition laws. During national Prohibition, the San Francisco plant sustained operations by producing near-beer and sodas. Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the brewery upgraded its plant and expanded rapidly to become the second-largest brewing company in California. In addition to marketing its core lines like Rainier Club and Rainier Special Export, Rainier stood out as one of California's most active contract packagers for wholesale grocers and retail food chains. In 1953, the San Francisco brewery was acquired by the Theodore Hamm Brewing Company, ending Rainier's manufacturing presence in the city.

Collecting Context

Cone tops bearing distributor-specific imprints hold a significant following among breweriana enthusiasts. Because private wholesale labels had localized distribution networks limited to territories such as California's Central Valley, they represent a fascinating chapter in early beer marketing and contract packaging history.