Koehler Select Beer Cone Top Can

Erie's Koehler Select Cone Top

Produced in the 1950s by Continental Can Company for the Erie Brewing Company of Erie, Pennsylvania, the Koehler Select Beer cone top can represents a classic post-war high-profile package. A distinctive aspect of this label design is the use of the singular brand name "Koehler" set within the sweeping diagonal black banner, rather than the possessive "Koehler's" seen on most other packaging from the plant. The artwork pairs vertical background color blocks with fine flourish accents, highlighting a stylized graphic eagle emblem positioned directly above the central brand banner and the word "Select" scripted elegantly near the base.

The Brand

The Koehler name served as the flagship brand for the Erie Brewing Company and was a staple across northwestern Pennsylvania, western New York, and eastern Ohio. Marketed with long-running taglines including "There Is No Better Beer," the brand catered heavily to industrial workers and tavern patrons throughout the Great Lakes region. The "Select" label was positioned as a refined, premium lager. Although regional loyalty kept the brand prominent for generations, intense market consolidation among national macrobreweries led to declining regional sales, and the Koehler trademark was eventually sold in 1978.

The Brewery

The roots of the Erie Brewing Company trace back to the mid-19th century when the Eagle Brewery was established in 1855. Jackson Koehler acquired the property in 1883, expanding capacity and solidifying the brand's local dominance. In 1899, several local breweries consolidated to incorporate the Erie Brewing Company. During Prohibition, the enterprise survived by producing soft drinks and cereal beverages as Imperial Beverages. Following Repeal in 1933, the brewery resumed full beer production at its sprawling complex on State Street, remaining an anchor of Erie's industrial economy until closing its doors in 1978.

Collecting Context

Cone top cans from historic Pennsylvania breweries hold a dedicated following among breweriana collectors. Because cone top production was phased out across the industry during the 1950s in favor of flat top and tab styles, high-profile cans like this Koehler Select are cherished artifacts of mid-century regional brewing heritage.