Heileman's Old Style Lager Beer Cone Top Can

Heileman's Old Style Lager Cone Top

This 12-ounce cone top can represents an early packaging era for the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Bearing the "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" (IRTP) tax statement, the container dates to the era between the repeal of Prohibition and the early 1950s. A distinguishing characteristic of this variation is the fluid ounce content declaration placed along the top upper rim rather than at the bottom. The front of the can features an elaborate pictorial lithograph depicting a Bavarian countryside setting, complete with an ox-drawn cart delivering casks, patrons seated at an outdoor tavern table, and wooden barrels stamped with the brand's name. Flanking the upper left of the scene is a stanza from the traditional German folk verse "Es lagen die alten Germanen", highlighting the brewery's Old World roots.

G. Heileman introduced Old Style Lager in 1902 to replace Golden Leaf as its flagship offering. Crafted using the traditional kraeusening process—a secondary fermentation method that naturally carbonated the brew—Old Style was marketed on the strength of its authentic German brewing pedigree. Over the decades, Old Style evolved into a beloved Midwestern icon, famously becoming a cultural staple in Chicago sports culture and celebrated in regional advertising campaigns invoking the scenic bluffs of "God's Country."

The G. Heileman Brewing Company traces its origins to 1858, when German immigrants Gottlieb Heileman and John Gund established the City Brewery in La Crosse. After the partnership dissolved in 1872, Heileman continued operating under his own name. Following Gottlieb's death in 1878, his widow, Johanna Heileman, took charge of the enterprise, becoming one of the first female brewery executives in the nation and guiding the business through substantial expansion. Heileman survived Prohibition by producing near beer, sodas, and malt extract. Following Repeal, the company launched an era of growth that eventually positioned it among the largest brewing operations in the United States before its acquisition by the Stroh Brewery Company in 1996.

For breweriana enthusiasts, pictorial cone tops from mid-century Midwestern breweries remain prized artifacts, cherished for their intricate narrative illustration, rich graphic detail, and historical connection to American brewing heritage.