Iron City Beer 16 Oz Tab Top Can

First Pint Tab Top Beer Can

Produced by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Iron City Beer 16 oz tab top can holds a significant place in beverage packaging history. Following the commercial introduction of the self-opening pull tab on standard 12-ounce containers in 1962 developed alongside Alcoa, Pittsburgh Brewing expanded the format to larger packages in the spring of 1963. This release established Iron City as the first brand in the brewing industry to market a 16-ounce pint can equipped with a tab top.

The arrival of the pint-sized tab top was accompanied by prominent promotional label graphics heralding the breakthrough convenience feature. Early cans featured banners reading "New Easy Open Snap Top," which was later updated to "No. 1 With The Snap Top" as competing breweries hurried to implement tab tops. Pittsburgh Brewing was exceptionally protective of its marketing slogan, even filing a $150,000 trademark lawsuit against crosstown rival Duquesne Brewing in May 1963 over their unauthorized use of the "Snap Top" name.

For breweriana collectors, the 16-ounce Iron City tab top represents an important milestone in mid-century canning history. Variations exist across production runs, featuring differences in side panel text, lid stampings, and promotional phrasing. The can remains a key artifact from Pittsburgh's era of packaging leadership.