Hudepohl Pure Lager Beer Cone Top Can

Hudepohl Pure Lager Cone Top

This twelve-ounce high-profile cone top was manufactured by the Continental Can Company in the early 1950s. Lacking an Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement, the can dates to the era immediately following the removal of federal tax-declaration requirements. The front features a prominent white diagonal sash displaying the gothic Hudepohl brand script across a deep crimson body, set beneath the brewery's heraldic crest depicting two stags flanking a monogrammed shield. Running along the bottom rim is the statement confirming the container was filled by The Hudepohl Brewing Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hudepohl Pure Lager Beer served as the brewery's primary flagship lager for decades. Marketed across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, the brand was positioned around pure brewing methods, civic tradition, and German brewing heritage. Hudepohl supported the label through extensive regional newspaper promotions, point-of-sale tavern displays, and local athletics partnerships. While Pure Lager anchored the company's post-repeal revival, it eventually ceded the spotlight to offerings like Hudepohl 14-K and Hudy Delight as packaging styles and consumer preferences shifted later in the century.

The Hudepohl Brewing Company was founded in Cincinnati in 1885 by Ludwig Hudepohl II in the city's historic Over-the-Rhine brewing district. Rapid growth propelled it into one of Ohio's largest brewing operations. During Prohibition, the enterprise survived by manufacturing soft drinks and near-beer, allowing it to reopen immediately upon repeal in 1933. Seeking to expand output, Hudepohl acquired the former Lackman Brewery plant on West Sixth Street in 1934, running two sizable facilities in the city simultaneously. Despite surviving mid-century raw-material shortages, regional brewers faced increasing headwinds from national consolidation. Hudepohl merged with longtime local competitor Schoenling in 1986, and the historic label was later revived under the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company.

Among breweriana collectors, Cincinnati cone tops hold enduring appeal due to the Queen City's rich brewing culture. Because cone top containers were phased out by regional brewers during the 1950s in favor of flat top cans, this Pure Lager container stands as a prized relic of mid-century Midwestern canning history.