Heidelberg Beer Pint Can

Heidelberg Beer Half Quart Pint Can

This 16-ounce flat top represents the mid-century canning era of Tacoma, Washington’s Heidelberg Brewing Company. Characterized by its generous pint capacity, the can features the "HALF QUART" designation printed in light lettering across both the upper and lower white horizontal bands, with the net contents specified along the top rim margin. The mandatory manufacturer text running along the bottom rim identifies the contents under the registered name "Alt Heidelberg Brand Beer," maintaining the legal formulation name even as the front display simplified the brand identity.

Columbia Brewing Company originally introduced Alt Heidelberg in 1912 as an Old World-style lager. Following the repeal of Prohibition, the brewery adopted the "Student Prince" as its official mascot—a smiling figure in traditional regalia raising a frothy stein bearing the "H" monogram. The character, popularized in operettas and German university lore, became the central visual hallmark of the brand. Marketed heavily across the Pacific Northwest with emphasis on its slow-brewed craftsmanship, the brand eventually streamlined its label in the 1950s by prominently displaying the shortened "Heidelberg" name in red gothic script.

The brewery's origins began in 1900 when German-born brewmaster Emil Kliese and William C. Kiltz established the Columbia Brewing Company in Tacoma. When Washington instituted statewide prohibition in 1916—four years ahead of national legislation—the business weathered the dry years by manufacturing soft drinks and near-beer. Columbia Breweries, Inc. resumed commercial brewing in 1933 and notably became the first brewery to introduce canned beer to the Pacific Northwest market in 1936. In 1953, the operation officially adopted the name Heidelberg Brewing Company. The plant was acquired by Carling in 1958 and later operated under G. Heileman before the historic Tacoma facility ceased production in 1979.

Pint-sized 16-ounce flat tops hold strong interest among Pacific Northwest breweriana collectors, serving as enduring artifacts of regional brewing heritage and mid-century graphic packaging.