Gettelman Milwaukee Beer Cone Top Can

Gettelman Rathskeller Brew Cone Top

Manufactured in the immediate post-World War II era, this 12-ounce cone top container represents mid-1940s packaging from the A. Gettelman Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Bearing a 1946 copyright mark and the standard Internal Revenue tax statement, the can incorporates a state-specific mandatory disclosure indicating that the contents do not contain more than 4% alcohol by weight. The front design is highlighted by the brewery's registered trademark emblem—a hand clasping a tall pilsner glass—perched above the bold Gettelman brand banner, with the "Rathskeller Brew" designation rendered across the lower body in traditional Germanic blackletter script.

Brand History

Gettelman marketed Rathskeller Brew to evoke Old World tavern tradition and German brewing heritage. Positioned as a classic specialty lager, the name honored the traditional rathskellers—underground cellars and tavern meeting rooms where fresh beer was poured from the wood. Rather than pursuing large-scale national distribution, Gettelman focused its advertising on regional taverns and local social clubs across Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest, supporting the brand through branded glassware, lighted signs, and point-of-sale displays.

The Brewery

The roots of the A. Gettelman Brewing Company trace back to 1856, when German-born brewer George Schweickhart established the Menomonee Brewery in Milwaukee's Menomonee River Valley. Adam Gettelman became a partner in 1871 and took sole ownership later that decade. After rebuilding from a catastrophic fire in 1877, Gettelman built a staunch reputation for pure brewing practices, famously offering a $1,000 cash reward to anyone who could prove their flagship beers contained artificial additives or non-standard adjuncts. During Prohibition, the company survived by producing near-beer and malt syrups, promptly returning to commercial brewing following Repeal in 1933. Gettelman remained a steadfast independent Milwaukee institution until 1961, when it was purchased by neighboring Miller Brewing Company.

Collecting Context

For breweriana enthusiasts, 1940s Gettelman cone tops represent a key chapter in Milwaukee's mid-century brewing industry. The fusion of the iconic hand-and-glass trademark with historical blackletter typography makes this can an evocative artifact of mid-century Midwestern packaging before industry consolidation shifted production exclusively to flat top cans.