Gilt Edge Lager Beer Flat Top Can

Sacramento's Gilt Edge Lager Can

The Gilt Edge Lager Beer Flat Top Can represents a notable artifact from the Buffalo Brewing Company of Sacramento, California. Founded in 1890, Buffalo Brewing Company grew to become one of the largest and most influential regional breweries in the American West.

The "Gilt Edge" label originated with pioneer Sacramento brewer Captain Frank Ruhstaller, who merged his brewing operations with Buffalo Brewing Company in the late 1890s. Ruhstaller brought with him the popular Gilt Edge brand, which gained widespread recognition throughout Northern California and neighboring territories. The brand was so prominent that Buffalo Brewing sponsored a local California League baseball team dubbed the Sacramento "Gilt Edge" (or the "Brewers"), winning consecutive league pennants around the turn of the twentieth century.

Following the repeal of Prohibition, Buffalo Brewing resumed production and canned its flagship lines for regional distribution. Gilt Edge Lager was packaged in flat top cans featuring bold typography and clean branding that carried forward Ruhstaller's storied Sacramento legacy.

Among breweriana enthusiasts, the Gilt Edge Lager flat top is prized as a prime example of pre-World War II West Coast packaging. Known variations of the can exist, reflecting different canning runs and subtle textual revisions during the brewery's active years. The can remains a key target for collectors focusing on California brewing history and the heritage of Sacramento's industrial brewing era.