Eastside Genuine Ale Flat Top Can

Eastside Genuine Sparkling Ale

This 12-ounce flat top can was produced by the Los Angeles Brewing Company of Los Angeles, California. Dating to the late 1930s era of early beer canning, this container is distinguished by its mandatory U-permit marking and the advisory text "COOL BEFORE OPENING" printed along the lower front rim. Documented in opening-instruction reference catalogs, the design features a gold metallic body, an orange central oval, and the company's detailed perched eagle emblem positioned above the bold Eastside shield.

The Eastside brand originated in 1907, coined by veteran brewer George Zobelein after he acquired the Los Angeles Brewing Company. Named after the plant's location on the east bank of the Los Angeles River, Eastside quickly established itself as Southern California's dominant regional beer. The "Genuine Sparkling Ale" offering was marketed as a lively, effervescent ale crafted to appeal to consumers seeking a bright alternative to traditional lagers. Eastside was promoted through extensive West Coast marketing campaigns and became a quintessential everyday beer across the region.

The Los Angeles Brewing Company was founded in 1897 on North Main Street. Under Zobelein’s guidance, the facility expanded into one of the largest brewing operations in the western United States. During Prohibition, the company survived by manufacturing near-beer, sodas, and malt extracts. With the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1933, the brewery resumed alcoholic production and quickly embraced the new flat top can format. In 1948, Milwaukee-based Pabst Brewing Company acquired the brewery, continuing to brew Eastside alongside Pabst Blue Ribbon until the facility closed in 1979. The historic brick complex later found new life as the Brewery Art Colony.

Early West Coast flat tops from the pre-World War II period are celebrated among breweriana enthusiasts for their graphic design and regional history. Featuring early canning directives and classic heraldic imagery from an iconic California institution, this can represents an important artifact from the formative years of canned beer.