Iron City Premium Beer 16 Oz Tab Top Can

Iron City 16 Oz Tab Top History

Manufactured for the Pittsburgh Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 16 oz Iron City Premium Beer tab top can represents a landmark achievement in packaging history. Following successful market tests of the self-opening lid in late 1962, Pittsburgh Brewing quickly expanded the concept to larger formats, becoming the first brewery in the industry to release a 16 oz pint can featuring a tab top.

Pittsburgh Brewing heavily promoted the innovation directly on the label, branding the feature as the "Snap Top" and featuring slogans such as "New Easy Open Snap Top" and "No. 1 With The Snap Top". The packaging proved to be an immense commercial triumph, driving canned sales upward across regional markets. Pittsburgh Brewing was famously protective of their marketing terminology; in May 1963, the company filed a high-profile $150,000 lawsuit against crosstown competitor Duquesne Brewing for using the phrase "Snap Top" on rival cans.

For collectors, the 16 oz can remains an important centerpiece marking the dawn of modern canned beverage design. Several label and layout variations exist across print runs, differing in promotional text placement, mandatory brewery text, and subtle graphic alterations reflecting Iron City's mid-century branding.