Burkhardt's Master Blend Beer Cone Top Can

Burkhardt's Master Blended Cone Top

This twelve-ounce cone top can represents mid-twentieth-century packaging from The Burkhardt Brewing Company of Akron, Ohio. Fitted with a crown cap stamped with the mandatory "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" (IRTP) statement, the can reflects the post-Prohibition era prior to the tax statement's removal in the early 1950s. The lithographed design features a split-field aesthetic, balancing an off-white upper half and a bold red base, highlighted by the brewery's heraldic crest bearing the "BB" monogram alongside prominent "Since 1880" heritage lettering.

Burkhardt introduced and marketed its Master Blended Beer as a premier, smooth-drinking lager tailored to regional tastes. The "Master Blended" naming highlighted the brewmaster's careful formulation of select hops and malted grains, positioning the beer as a refined, high-quality offering among regional competitors. Backed by newspaper advertising, point-of-sale displays, and tavern signage throughout northeastern Ohio, the brand served as a core staple in the brewery's product lineup throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

The history of Burkhardt Brewing began in Akron's Wolf Ledges district. German immigrant Wilhelm Burkhardt served as brewmaster at the local Wolf Ledge Brewery before acquiring ownership. Following his untimely death in 1882, his widow, Margaretha Burkhardt, assumed executive leadership of the enterprise. Operating as a pioneering female brewery proprietor in North America, she modernized and expanded the facility, formally incorporating it as The Burkhardt Brewing Company. The brewery successfully navigated the thirteen years of Prohibition by producing near-beer, soft drinks, and ice, positioning it for rapid postwar modernization after 1933. Burkhardt remained an Akron landmark until regional market consolidation led to its acquisition by Cincinnati-based Burger Brewing in the 1950s.

Today, Burkhardt containers hold significant value among breweriana enthusiasts, particularly collectors specializing in Ohio brewing history and classic mid-century cone top formats. The can serves as an evocative piece of Akron's industrial past and a tribute to one of the region's most resilient independent breweries.