Berghoff 1887 Beer Cone Top Can

Berghoff 1887 High Cone Top Can

Manufactured by the Continental Can Company, this twelve-ounce high-profile cone top represents a distinguished mid-twentieth-century package produced for the Berghoff Brewing Corporation of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The front face features a striking graphic composition, setting a sweeping white script brand name across large, outlined background numerals denoting the year. At the center rests a heraldic shield displaying a stylized red eagle with a prominent "B" positioned at the bottom of the crest, beneath a banner reading "ESTABLISHED".

The Brand

The "1887" brand name celebrated the founding year of the Berghoff family's brewing enterprise in Indiana. Positioned in the regional marketplace as a quality German-style lager, the brand was marketed on the strength of Old World brewing traditions and long-standing regional prestige. The Berghoff name gained immense recognition across the Midwest, maintaining a loyal following across decades of canning and bottling before the label eventually transitioned into contract production in later eras.

The Brewery

The origins of the brewery date to 1887, when German immigrant brothers Herman, Henry, Hubert, and Gustav Berghoff established their brewing enterprise in Fort Wayne. The company quickly expanded into one of the largest brewing plants in northern Indiana. Herman Berghoff famously promoted the family beer at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, subsequently opening the historic Berghoff Restaurant. During Prohibition, the plant survived by producing near-beer and soda. When national Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the business reorganized as the Berghoff Brewing Corporation. The Fort Wayne plant continued independent brewing until 1954, when it was purchased by the Falstaff Brewing Corporation.

Collecting Context

High-profile cone tops from the mid-twentieth century hold a revered place in breweriana collections. Representing the golden age of regional Midwestern brewing, this container attracts collectors of Indiana brewing history, graphic heraldic can art, and early steel beverage packaging.