Buffalo Brand Beer Flat Top Can

Sacramento's Buffalo Brand Flat Top

This twelve-ounce flat top represents an early era of canned beer packaging, manufactured by the American Can Company using their proprietary Keglined process. Documented in Kevin Lilek's guide to opening instruction cans under number 166, the container features a detailed side instructional panel. These instructions, paired with step-by-step illustrations advising consumers to use the "Canco" quick and easy opener without shaking the can, were essential during the late 1930s when flat-top cans were a novel format for consumers accustomed to traditional bottles. The instructional panel also details American Can Company patent numbers alongside the trademark Keglined emblem.

Buffalo Brand Beer was the flagship label for its Sacramento brewer, utilizing bold imagery and regional identity to market its product across California and neighboring western territories. The brand celebrated the American bison as a symbol of strength and western heritage. Following the repeal of Prohibition, Buffalo Brand was reintroduced to store shelves, adopting the cutting-edge flat top container to compete with emerging packaged beer alternatives.

The Buffalo Brewing Company was founded in Sacramento in 1888 by Herman Grau, who drew inspiration from the prominent breweries of Buffalo, New York. When brewing operations commenced at 21st and Q Streets in 1890, the expansive facility quickly grew into one of the largest brewing enterprises west of the Mississippi River. In 1897, the company merged operations with local brewer Frank Ruhstaller of the City Brewery, expanding its footprint throughout the Pacific region. During Prohibition, the facility maintained operations by producing commercial ice, soda, and near beer. Although it resumed beer production following Repeal, post-war market pressures and intense distribution competition from large national shipping breweries led to the permanent closure of the plant in the 1940s.

For breweriana historians and can collectors, pre-World War II West Coast opening instruction cans are prized artifacts. This can represents both a transitional milestone in beverage container engineering and a reminder of Sacramento's rich brewing heritage.