Burgermeister Ale Flat Top Can

Burgermeister Ale Can History

Produced by the San Francisco Brewing Corporation (originally known as the Milwaukee Brewery of San Francisco), the Burgermeister Ale flat top is a notable piece of Northern California breweriana. While Burgermeister lager and pale beer cans achieved widespread commercial distribution throughout the American West, the ale counterpart saw far more limited output and represents an elusive find for collectors.

Manufactured in partnership with the American Can Company, early production runs carry the trademark Keglined branding alongside side-panel opening instruction diagrams. The container's side text also documents industry-wide adjustments following Federal Alcohol Administration (FAA) regulations, which mandated strict separation between container manufacturer data and brewery identification. These regulatory adjustments prompted shifts in the placement of state permit numbers, patent notices, and trademark declarations on subsequent press runs.

Known variations of the can exist among collections, characterized by subtle differences in mandatory text layout, patent phrasing, and brewery naming designations. Decorated with the brand's traditional typography and heraldic motifs, the Burgermeister Ale flat top remains a classic artifact from the mid-twentieth-century San Francisco brewing scene.