Iron City Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

The Historic Iron City Snap Top

The Iron City Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can occupies a monumental place in breweriana history as the packaging that sparked a beverage packaging revolution. Manufactured for the Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this container served as the premier commercial test subject for the self-opening pull tab.

In the early 1960s, Pittsburgh Brewing partnered with the Pittsburgh-based Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) to commercialize an aluminum closure derived from Ermal Fraze's scored-lid design. Iron City Beer debuted the new package during a September 1962 test market in Staunton, Virginia. The market trial was an instant success; local sales doubled within two months, leading the brewery to transition its entire canned beer production to the format by early 1963.

Capitalizing on its market lead, Pittsburgh Brewing launched an aggressive marketing campaign. The brewery fiercely guarded its promotional identity, even filing a substantial lawsuit against regional competitor Duquesne Brewing over the use of the "Snap Top" moniker. Collectors identify several variations from this era, including cans bearing body slogans such as "New Easy Open Snap Top" and later "No. 1 With The Snap Top" once rival brands began adopting the closure. Lid variations also exist across production runs, showcasing differences in tab design and stamped directional text.

As the groundbreaking release that fundamentally reshaped canned beverage history, this Iron City container stands as an essential cornerstone of twentieth-century breweriana.