Blatz Beer 12 Oz Zip Top Can

Pabst Los Angeles Blatz Zip Top

The Blatz Beer 12 oz zip top produced under the Pabst Brewing Company in Los Angeles, California, represents a notable chapter in mid-century American brewing history. Originally established in Milwaukee in 1851 by Valentin Blatz, the Blatz brand was acquired by rival Pabst in 1958. This purchase became the center of a landmark federal antitrust lawsuit, United States v. Pabst Brewing Co., which eventually escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court before Pabst was ordered to divest the brand.

During Pabst's ownership, the company utilized its expanded production footprint to package Blatz across regional facilities. This included Pabst's major West Coast plant in Los Angeles—the historic facility originally built by the Los Angeles Brewing Company (brewers of Eastside Beer) on North Main Street.

For breweriana collectors, examples carrying the Los Angeles brewery mandatory statement are particularly sought after, as they were distributed in smaller regional volumes compared to the standard Midwestern runs from Milwaukee or Peoria Heights. The can design features the classic Blatz angular script across the primary label field, framed by traditional hop and grain motifs. Across production runs, minor variations exist in the mandatory text layout, trademark placement, and lid rim stamping.