Cook's Beer Flat Top Can

Cook's Goldblume Export Beer Can

The Can

This mid-century flat top container showcases one of the classic designs issued for the F. W. Cook portfolio. The can features crisp red and black graphics set against a white background, headlined at the top with a stenciled "SPECIAL EXPORT" designation. Directly above the main brand logo sits a circular insignia depicting an Ohio River paddlewheel steamboat, framed by the legend "COOK'S BREWING COMPANY EVANSVILLE, IND." Flanking this emblem are the twelve-fluid-ounce volume declaration and a "UNION MADE" mark. The lower half is dominated by the brand's sweeping red script logo, with the tail extending beneath the block-lettered "GOLDBLUME" trademark above the phrase "EXPORT BEER" and the slogan "ENJOY REAL BEER FLAVOR."

The Brand

Cook's Goldblume served as the longtime flagship product of the brewery, enjoying widespread popularity across the Ohio Valley and neighboring Midwestern markets. Marketed as a premium lager, Goldblume was promoted through advertising that emphasized heritage and authentic brewing tradition. The "Special Export" designation positioned the beer as a top-tier regional option capable of competing with the growing dominance of national shipping brands during the postwar brewing boom. Although brewing ceased at the primary plant in the late 1950s, the Goldblume name retained strong brand equity and was produced under contract by other regional breweries in subsequent decades.

The Brewery

The origins of the F. W. Cook Brewing Company date to 1853, when Frederick Washington Cook and Jacob Rice established the City Brewery in Evansville, Indiana. Following Rice's death, the firm reorganized under the F. W. Cook name in 1885 and developed into one of southern Indiana's largest industrial operations. The brewery survived catastrophic fires and weathered Prohibition by producing soft drinks and near beer. In the early 1950s, prominent businessman Anton Hulman Jr. acquired controlling interest in the enterprise. A prolonged labor strike in 1955 halted production, and the historic brewery ultimately closed for good in 1957.

Collecting Context

Indiana breweriana is a vibrant category among collectors, and cans from Evansville hold special historical importance due to the city's rich brewing heritage. Flat tops from the final operational decade of F. W. Cook capture the classic mid-century graphic styling of Midwestern regional brewing. The incorporation of the riverboat emblem and the clean, bold typography make this can a desirable piece of mid-century packaging history.