Iron City Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

The First Tab Top Beer Can

The Iron City Beer 12 oz tab top can produced by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, represents a landmark milestone in breweriana and packaging history. In 1962, the brewery collaborated with the Pittsburgh-based Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) to bring inventor Ermal Fraze's self-opening lid design to the commercial brewing industry. Iron City was the first beer brand in the world to be packaged and sold in tab top cans.

Pittsburgh Brewing initially test-marketed the new cans in Staunton, Virginia, in late 1962. The market reaction was an instant success, with regional sales reportedly doubling in mere months and can sales tripling over the first full year. Following the rollout, Pittsburgh Brewing Company rapidly expanded distribution, and breweries across the globe quickly adopted the format.

Among breweriana collectors, several variations of this can are known to exist. Early production runs included commemorative and promotional slogans on the label design, such as "New Easy Open Snap Top" and "No. 1 with the Snap Top". Lid variations also appeared throughout production, including lids without instructional text as well as versions stamped with directional text and protective safety beads. Today, this can remains a cornerstone artifact in the history of canned beverages.