Esslinger Premium Beer Quart

Esslinger's 1951 Premium Quart Cone

This 32-ounce cone top can represents Esslinger's post-World War II large-format packaging. Bearing a copyright notation of "© 1951 E. I." beneath its primary brand shield, the can dates to the early 1950s—an era when cone top construction was rapidly yielding to flat top designs across the brewing industry. The container features heavy steel construction with a raised conical funnel spout sealed by a crown cap. Prominently centered above the bold script lettering is the brewery's trademark mascot, the "Little Man," depicted as a cheerful bellhop or waiter stepping forward while balancing a serving tray with a bottle and a stemmed glass. Along the bottom rim, ornate script proclaims the product as "Philadelphia's Premium Beer."

Esslinger's positioned its flagship Premium Beer as a quality hometown lager, emphasizing metropolitan craftsmanship and convivial hospitality. The Little Man mascot became a ubiquitous sight across the Mid-Atlantic, appearing on billboards, neon signs, serving trays, and point-of-sale display figures throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. The brand was aggressively marketed to urban and working-class consumers, later inspiring celebrated promotional concepts such as the brewery's party quiz cans. As regional markets tightened, the brand shifted through corporate acquisitions before disappearing from shelves.

The brewing enterprise traced its roots to 1868, when German immigrant George Esslinger established a brewing operation in Philadelphia. In the late 1870s, operations relocated to the Callowhill district near Tenth Street, expanding into an imposing industrial complex. George Esslinger passed away during Prohibition, after which the Brown family acquired the facility and modernized it for Repeal. Esslinger's secured an enduring place in regional history by becoming the very first Philadelphia brewery to package beer in cans. During the postwar era, it stood as one of the celebrated "Philly Final Four" independent breweries alongside Gretz, Ortlieb, and Schmidt's. Growing competition from national shipping brewers led to the plant's sale in the 1960s to New York's Jacob Ruppert Brewery, which ended local production.

Among breweriana enthusiasts, quart cone tops occupy an elite tier of mid-century packaging. Their substantial size and distinctive profiles make them standout shelf pieces, and the enduring popularity of the Little Man mascot combined with Philadelphia's rich brewing heritage ensures this large-format can remains an essential artifact of American industrial history.