Burgermeister Beer Flat Top Can

Burgermeister 11-Ounce Flat Top Can

This Burgermeister flat top can features the brand's mid-century aesthetic, highlighted by the slogan "Refreshingly Light" arched across the upper cream-colored field above an illustration of the smiling mascot in a blue hat raising a tall glass of beer. Framed over a metallic blue lower body, the container is distinguished by its 11-ounce capacity, designated along the lower gold band with a smaller contents text declaration. The 11-fluid-ounce volume reflects a distinctive regional packaging standard widely utilized across the Pacific Coast during the post-war era, where West Coast breweries routinely distributed eleven-ounce portions alongside conventional sizes.

Originally positioned as an approachable, everyday lager, Burgermeister developed into one of the dominant beer labels throughout California and the American West. Affectionately marketed under the nickname "Burgie," the brand achieved widespread recognition through print campaigns, radio jingles, and television commercials centered on its cheerful mascot. As major national brands consolidated the regional market during the late 1960s and 1970s, distribution declined, and the Burgermeister label was ultimately phased out.

The brewery's origins extend back to the Milwaukee Brewery of San Francisco, which re-emerged after Prohibition under the name San Francisco Brewing Corporation. The company achieved massive commercial success in the decades following World War II, fueled almost entirely by its signature lager. By 1956, the company officially renamed itself the Burgermeister Brewing Corporation to align corporate identity with its flagship product. In the early 1960s, the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company acquired the brewery and its brand assets. The transaction prompted a landmark federal antitrust suit (United States v. Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co.), resulting in a court mandate forcing Schlitz to divest the San Francisco facility. The plant was later transferred to the Falstaff Brewing Corporation before brewing operations ceased in the 1970s.

For breweriana collectors, mid-century flat tops representing West Coast regional sizes hold significant appeal. The iconic mascot imagery, paired with the brewery's pivotal role in San Francisco industrial history, makes this can an enduring representation of California's brewing past.