Iron City Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

The Pioneer of the Snap-Top Can

The Iron City Beer 12 oz tab top can produced by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company holds a monumental place in beverage packaging history. In 1962, Pittsburgh Brewing partnered with the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) to bring inventor Ermal Fraze's self-opening pull-tab closure to commercial beer containers.

Pittsburgh Brewing initially test-marketed the self-opening can in Staunton, Virginia. The market response was immediate, with regional sales doubling within two months. The overwhelming success prompted the brewery to convert its canning operations to the format, cementing Iron City as the first commercial beer brand distributed with pull-tab tops.

The brewery heavily marketed the format under the moniker "Snap Top". Pittsburgh Brewing fiercely protected this marketing angle, going so far as to file a trademark infringement lawsuit against crosstown rival Duquesne Brewing over unauthorized use of the name.

Breweriana collectors recognize notable graphic and manufacturing variations across production runs. Early cans showcased promotional banners heralding the "New Easy Open Snap Top," which was later updated to boast "No. 1 With The Snap Top" as competing breweries adopted the closure. Other variations across issues feature differences in side panel mandatory text, tab construction refinements, and lid stampings.