Krueger's Cream Ale Flat Top Can

The Dawn of Canned Beer

The Krueger's Cream Ale flat top can holds a monumental place in breweriana history as one of the very first canned beers ever made commercially available to the public. Produced by the G. Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey, in partnership with the American Can Company, this landmark container officially made its retail debut on January 24, 1935.

American Can Company developed a specialized internal lining, marketed as "Keglined," to prevent the beverage from reacting with the tinplate steel. Seeking a regional brewer willing to test this technological gamble, they offered Krueger the canning machinery on trial. To minimize risk to the brewery's primary metropolitan market in case of failure, Richmond, Virginia, was selected as the testing ground. The initial shipment of cans proved to be an overwhelming commercial triumph, securing a 91% approval rating from consumers and triggering a packaging revolution that forced major national breweries to quickly adopt canning lines of their own.

For collectors, the can is celebrated for its distinctive graphics, notably featuring the smiling Krueger waiter character, often referred to in collector circles as "Baldy". Surrounding the character are classic brand ribbons, patent notations, and the prominent "Keglined" oval logo.

Known variations exist across surviving specimens, reflecting minor shifts in mandatory regulatory statements—such as Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) designations—as well as slight modifications to factory sanction codes, trademark phrasing, and side-panel instruction layouts. Because of its foundational status as the genesis of modern beverage canning, this label remains one of the most sought-after and storied centerpieces in beer can collecting.