Burgermeister Beer Flat Top Can

Burgermeister Flat Top Heritage

Produced by the Burgermeister Brewing Corporation (originally the San Francisco Brewing Corporation) at its historic facility on 10th and Bryant Streets in San Francisco, California, the Burgermeister Beer flat top can remains one of the most recognizable artifacts of West Coast brewing.

Affectionately known as "Burgie," the brand became a Northern California powerhouse through prominent mid-century advertising, including animated commercials and the familiar tagline "A Truly Fine Pale Beer". The can features the classic Burgermeister typography across the front label, accented by traditional heraldic motifs.

This container is closely tied to a landmark development in American legal and corporate history. In the early 1960s, Milwaukee-based Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company acquired Burgermeister to expand its West Coast market share. The United States Department of Justice challenged the takeover under the Clayton Act (United States v. Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company), arguing it significantly lessened competition across the Western brewing industry. The federal government prevailed, ultimately compelling Schlitz to divest the Burgermeister brand and brewery.

For breweriana collectors, the can exists in several variations reflecting shifting corporate ownership and manufacturing runs. These differences include mandatory brewery line statements—such as San Francisco Brewing Corp., Burgermeister Brewing Corp., and the Schlitz Burgermeister Division—along with minor modifications to side-panel legal phrasing and can manufacturer stamps.