Iron City Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

The First Pull-Tab Beer Can

The Iron City Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can, produced by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holds a historic place in breweriana packaging history. In 1962, Pittsburgh Brewing Company collaborated with the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) to commercialize the self-opening top. The mechanism was adapted from a design created by Ohio inventor Ermal Fraze, eliminating the necessity of a handheld church key opener.

Pittsburgh Brewing Company initially test-marketed the closure on Iron City Beer in Staunton, Virginia, in September 1962. The market test was an immediate commercial success, doubling sales in the region and driving the brewery to rapidly convert all canned production to the tab-top format. The success of Iron City's rollout catalyzed an industry-wide transition toward self-opening beverage cans during the 1960s.

The brewery actively protected its pioneering status and marketing terminology. In May 1963, Pittsburgh Brewing filed a lawsuit against local rival Duquesne Brewing for using the trademarked term "Snap Top" to market their competing cans.

Several variations of this can exist among collectors. Early production runs featured promotional text on the label reading "New Easy Open Snap Top" to highlight the packaging feature. After competitors entered the market with similar tops, the brewery updated the label to read "No. 1 With The Snap Top". Notable variations also include differences in the lid stamping, such as early plain lids versus versions with embossed directional text.