Berghoff 1887 Beer Cone Top Can

Berghoff 1887 Dortmunder Cone Top

The Berghoff 1887 Beer cone top can represents an early canned packaging format produced by the Berghoff Brewing Corporation of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Manufactured with a flat bottom construction and bearing an Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement from the pre-1950 canning era, the twelve-ounce container features a striking black, red, and gold color scheme. The primary face displays the flowing white Berghoff script angled across large, stylized outlined numerals marking the founding year "1887." Centered between the digits is a heraldic crest depicting a red eagle enclosing a block letter "B," surmounted by a small banner identifying the contents as "Dortmunder Style" beer.

The Berghoff brand began in 1887, crafted to emulate the pale, full-bodied lagers native to Dortmund, Germany. The brand gained broad Midwestern popularity after Herman Berghoff introduced it at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Capitalizing on its favorable reception, Herman opened the Berghoff Restaurant on Adams Street in Chicago in 1898, serving the signature beer alongside traditional German fare. When national Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the restaurant secured Chicago Liquor License No. 1, further cementing the brand's association with classic Germanic brewing tradition and city dining lore.

The brewery itself was established in Fort Wayne in 1887 by four immigrant brothers: Herman, Henry, Hubert, and Gustav Berghoff. The family quickly became prominent in local industry, and Henry Berghoff went on to serve as the mayor of Fort Wayne in the early 1900s. During Prohibition, the facility maintained operations by bottling near beer and soft drinks under the Bergo name, notably creating a successful root beer line. After Repeal, commercial brewing resumed under the Berghoff Brewing Corporation name. The brewery operated independently until 1954, when the facility and brand rights were sold to the Falstaff Brewing Corporation.

Among breweriana collectors, this flat bottom cone top is a prized piece of Midwestern brewing history. Its distinctive shield imagery, strong ties to Fort Wayne manufacturing, and direct link to the historic Chicago establishment make it a highly desirable highlight within vintage cone top collections.