F & S Beer 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

F&S Beer Zip and Tab Top Cans

Produced by the Fuhrmann & Schmidt Brewing Company of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, the F & S Beer 12 oz can represents an iconic artifact from the heart of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. Fuhrmann & Schmidt—frequently referred to simply as F&S—held deep roots in Northumberland County, tracing its corporate lineage back through 19th-century predecessors like the Eagle Brewing Company before adopting the Fuhrmann & Schmidt name.

Brewery History and Context

The Shamokin brewery established a dedicated following among local workers and mining communities. Following its post-Prohibition reopening, the brewery supplied the surrounding area with its flagship beer. Later in its history, the facility was acquired by Philadelphia’s Henry F. Ortlieb Brewing Company, which continued manufacturing the regional brand at the Shamokin plant until operations permanently ceased in the mid-1970s.

Collector Significance and Variations

The can showcases the bold, classic F&S typography that made the brand a recognizable fixture across regional distributor shelves and taverns. Because packaging transitioned through various suppliers and corporate changes over the brewery's later operational decades, several variations exist across production runs. Collectors recognize differences in canning plant stamps, mandatory brewery statements, and lid manufacturing formats introduced by packaging companies such as American Can Company and Continental Can Company. Today, the can remains a sought-after piece of Pennsylvania breweriana, celebrated for its connection to Shamokin's industrial heritage.