Bürger Sparkling Ale Cone Top Can

Bürger Sparkling Ale Cone Top

This high-profile twelve-ounce cone top can represents an iconic mid-century package from Cincinnati, Ohio. Produced during the 1940s Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) era, the can features a deep black body accented by a vibrant emerald-green circular centerpiece and matching green rim striping. Across the upper face, it prominently displays the famous catchphrase "VAS YOU EFER IN ZINZINNATI" set in quotation marks above the ornate Germanic lettering of the brand name, complete with traditional umlaut dots over the "u". The lower skirt carries the mandatory manufacturer statement reading "BREWED AND FILLED BY THE BURGER BREWING CO., CINCINNATI, OHIO", and the cone is sealed with a factory-stamped crown cap marking its city of origin.

Burger Sparkling Ale was developed as a crisper, top-fermented companion to the brewery's standard bohemian-style lagers. The brand relied heavily on its German heritage and community pride to connect with local drinkers. The phonetic slogan, "Vas you efer in Zinzinnati?", playfully mimicked the dialect of the city's dense German-American population and evolved into one of the most memorable regional advertising campaigns of the twentieth century. In later years, Burger bolstered its regional fame by sponsoring Cincinnati Reds baseball radio broadcasts, cementing the brand in local folklore before consumer tastes shifted toward national light lagers.

The Burger Brewing Company traced its origins to an 1880s malting business. During Prohibition, the firm survived by manufacturing malt syrup for home bakers and illicit homebrewers. When Repeal arrived in late 1933, the company reorganized for commercial brewing and leased the historic Over-the-Rhine facility previously operated by the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewing Company, commonly known as the Lion Brewery. Burger flourished into one of Cincinnati’s premier regional breweries through the post-war boom. However, accelerating industry consolidation and competition from national shipping brewers squeezed local market share, forcing Burger to end brewing operations at the historic plant in 1973.

For breweriana enthusiasts, this can holds a revered spot in Queen City brewing history. Because Cincinnati breweries predominantly sold and canned lagers, ale variations were packaged in considerably smaller runs, making pre-1950s cone tops from this line an essential centerpiece for regional collections.