Ben Brew 100% Grain Krausen Beer Cone Top Can

Ben Brew Kräeusen Beer Cone Top

The Ben Brew 100% Grain Krausen Beer cone top represents a distinguished mid-century package from the Franklin Brewing Company of Columbus, Ohio. Manufactured during the Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) era, this 12-ounce high-profile cone top can carries an alcohol caption stating 3.2–7% alongside its mandatory federal tax statement. The can’s frontal presentation is framed within a classical shield anchored by star emblems and bold lettering reading "KRÄEUSEN." A sweeping red ribbon banner showcases the flowing script of the "Ben Brew" name, underscored by a "100% Grain" callout and an explanatory brewer's note detailing the traditional Kräeusen process of slow aging and secondary fermentation.

Ben Brew originated in the early twentieth century as the flagship offering of Franklin Brewing. Positioned as an authentic, premium lager, the brand was marketed on its fidelity to old-world brewing standards. In a post-Repeal market where many commercial beers leaned heavily on adjunct grains and artificial carbonation, Franklin championed its all-grain formulation and the authentic German krausening technique. Local newspaper advertisements and bar ephemera promoted the brand heavily throughout central Ohio, popularizing conversational tavern catchphrases such as "Make Mine a Bennie".

Franklin Brewing Company was initially established in Columbus around 1905 on North Cleveland Avenue. When statewide and national Prohibition forced the brewery to shut down in 1919, commercial brewing ceased. Following the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, the business briefly emerged as the Riverside Brewing Company before formally reorganizing in 1934 as the Franklin Brewing Company at a plant on North Sandusky Street. Franklin re-established itself as a regional staple, maintaining steady production through the Great Depression and World War II. However, postwar market pressure from heavily advertised national shipping breweries proved difficult to counter, leading to the brewery's acquisition by Cleveland's Pilsener Brewing Company in 1952 and its closure shortly thereafter.

For breweriana enthusiasts, cone tops from Ohio’s regional breweries represent a celebrated chapter in metal packaging history. This can bridges late pre-Prohibition branding traditions with mid-century packaging innovation, standing out among collectors for its detailed technical brewing declarations and proud local Ohio heritage.