Iron City Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

The Iron City Snap Top Pioneer

The Iron City Beer 12 oz tab top can produced by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holds a landmark position in breweriana history. In 1962, Pittsburgh Brewing Company collaborated with the Pittsburgh-based Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) to bring the self-opening lid design—originally conceived by inventor Ermal Fraze—to the commercial beer market.

Iron City was the first beer brand in the world to be commercially distributed with this opening mechanism. Initial test marketing commenced in Staunton, Virginia, in the autumn of 1962 and produced immediate commercial success, with sales in the test territory multiplying rapidly. Following the successful trial, the brewery quickly converted its regular canning lines to feature the self-opening top across its broader distribution network.

Early releases prominently highlighted the breakthrough directly on the label with slogans such as "New Easy Open Snap Top" and later "No. 1 with the Snap Top". Over the course of its production run, Pittsburgh Brewing Company introduced modifications to both the can body and the lid construction. The earliest lids featured plain scored apertures and flat tabs without rolled edges. Subsequent production runs introduced rolled edges for safety, stamped directional instructions such as "Lift Tab and Pull," and raised smile beads beside the tab rivet.

Collectors recognize multiple variations of this can, reflecting iterative manufacturing improvements and promotional text revisions implemented by the brewery. Because it represents the industry's pivotal transition to self-opening beverage packaging, this Iron City issue remains one of the most historically significant artifacts in breweriana.