Burger Premium Ale 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

Burger Premium Ale Can Overview

The Burger Premium Ale 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can was produced by the Burger Brewing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, a regional powerhouse that played a central role in Queen City brewing history. Tracing its origins to the Burger Brothers Malting Company founded in the late nineteenth century by German immigrants Charles and Louis Burger, the company transitioned into commercial brewing following the repeal of Prohibition. Burger established deep ties with the local community, famously sponsoring Cincinnati Reds radio broadcasts anchored by Waite Hoyt, who affectionately dubbed Crosley Field's sun deck "Burgerville".

Graphic Design and Labeling

The can features the brewery's trademark sweeping "Burger" script paired with bold ale branding. Set against a metallic lithograph background with contrasting typography, the visual presentation was specifically designed to distinguish the brewery's ale offerings on retail shelves from its flagship lager lines.

Collector Significance and Variations

Regional ale cans from this era are notable in breweriana collecting because Midwestern breweries produced ale in substantially smaller volumes than standard lagers. As a result of these limited production quantities, surviving Burger Premium Ale cans surface less frequently than their lager counterparts. Known variations exist across production runs, featuring subtle differences in statutory text layout, can manufacturing seam marks, and metallic background tones.

Following the closure of the original Cincinnati brewery in the 1970s and the subsequent acquisition of Burger brands by Hudepohl, original production cans from the Burger plant remain prized historical artifacts of the region's mid-century brewing industry.