Fort Pitt Special Beer Cone Top Can

Fort Pitt Special Beer Cone Top

This 12-ounce high profile cone top container represents the post-World War II era of Western Pennsylvania brewing heritage. The label design features an ornate scrollwork border framing a central cream-colored field, which showcases the brand lettering and the historic Fort Pitt blockhouse emblem. Flanking the circular emblem, the arched banner carries the text "Choicest Malt" alongside "Finest Hops". Along the lower arc, the mandatory statement specifically attributes production to Fort Pitt Brewing Company in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, marking it as an issue from the company's satellite facility rather than its primary Pittsburgh-area plant.

Fort Pitt Special Beer served as the premier flagship lager for the enterprise, marketed aggressively across taverns, sporting events, and working-class neighborhoods throughout Western Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Supported by ubiquitous billboard, newspaper, and broadcast campaigns, the brand popularized the iconic catchphrase "That's it, Fort Pitt!"—a slogan so deeply ingrained in the region that it transitioned into everyday local vernacular. The label enjoyed immense market share through the 1940s and early 1950s before brand distribution eventually changed hands following corporate shifts.

The Fort Pitt Brewing Company was incorporated in 1906 by Dr. Herman Hechelman and Samuel Grenet in the Pittsburgh suburb of Sharpsburg. The business weathered Prohibition by producing non-alcoholic cereal beverages and ginger beer. In the post-Repeal era, under the guidance of president Michael Berardino, Fort Pitt embarked on rapid modernization and growth. In 1941, the company acquired the assets of the former Victor Brewing Company in Jeannette, substantially increasing overall capacity. By 1949, Fort Pitt stood as the top-selling brewery in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the nation. However, costly labor strikes in the early 1950s and fierce competition from expanding national shipping brewers led to production cuts. The Jeannette facility halted operations in the mid-1950s, and brewing ended entirely in 1957.

Among breweriana collectors, this can is a prized example of mid-century industrial packaging from a titan of Pennsylvania brewing history. Cans bearing the Jeannette imprint are especially appreciated by regional collectors for documenting the peak era of Fort Pitt's multi-plant operations.