Iron City Beer 16 Oz Tab Top Can

Pioneer of the Pint Tab Top

Manufactured for the Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Iron City Beer 16 oz tab top can stands as a landmark in beverage packaging history. Developed in close collaboration with the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), Pittsburgh Brewing pioneered self-opening cans and quickly expanded the format to larger packages, making Iron City the first brand in the brewing industry to market beer in a pint-sized tab top container.

The introduction of this 16-ounce container was accompanied by high-profile promotional campaigns highlighting the new convenience. Early can designs prominently featured banners proclaiming phrases like "New Easy Open Snap Top." As competing regional and national breweries rushed to adopt their own tab tops, Pittsburgh Brewing updated the graphics to read "No. 1 With The Snap Top."

The brewery was fiercely protective of this packaging milestone and its marketing identity. In May 1963, Pittsburgh Brewing filed a notable $150,000 unfair competition lawsuit against crosstown rival Duquesne Brewing over their unauthorized use of the "Snap Top" name on competing containers.

Over its manufacturing run, the can appeared with notable variations. Collectors document differences across production issues, including alterations to promotional slogan text, revisions in mandatory brewery statements, and slight shifts in the brewery's traditional red, white, and gold heraldic artwork. The 16-ounce format also later served as a canvas for special commemorative themes celebrating Pittsburgh sports milestones. Today, this pint container remains an iconic centerpiece representing the region's pivotal role in can manufacturing evolution.