Guinness's Lager Beer Flat Top Can

Goebel's Oakland Guinness Lager

The Guinness's Lager Beer flat top can produced by Goebel represents a notable chapter in mid-century American contract brewing. Following the closure of Arthur Guinness Son & Co.'s domestic production plant in Long Island City, New York, the Irish firm entered into a licensing agreement with Goebel Brewing Company to produce and package Guinness-branded beverages domestically to bypass transatlantic shipping duties.

While Goebel fulfilled much of this licensing arrangement at its primary headquarters in Detroit, regional packaging for the West Coast took place at its branch plant in Oakland, California—a facility previously operated by the Golden West Brewing Company. Because Goebel maintained operations at the Oakland facility for only a brief period, cans carrying the Oakland mandatory statement were produced in substantially smaller numbers than their Midwestern counterparts.

The can design integrates traditional Guinness heraldry, featuring the classic Irish harp trademark and bold period typography. Known variations exist among surviving cans, differing in side-panel mandatory phrasing, manufacturer notations, and patent markings. Bridging Irish brewing heritage with California industrial canning history, this Oakland-marked container remains a sought-after crossover item for breweriana collectors.