Krueger's Cream Ale Flat Top Can

The Birth of the Beer Can

The Krueger's Cream Ale Flat Top holds a legendary place in breweriana as one of the inaugural brands ever commercially sold in a can. Produced by the G. Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey, in collaboration with the American Can Company, this can made history during a market rollout launched on January 24, 1935, in Richmond, Virginia.

American Can Company had spent years developing its proprietary "Keglined" process—an internal coating engineered to withstand carbonation pressure and prevent the beverage from interacting with the steel. Seeking a brewer to test the commercial viability of canned beer, they partnered with Krueger, delivering Krueger's Cream Ale alongside Krueger's Finest Beer. The rollout proved to be a resounding success, setting off a nationwide packaging revolution that prompted major brewing giants across the country to follow suit.

For collectors, this can represents a foundational milestone of industrial design and twentieth-century brewing heritage. Over the course of its manufacturing run, the label appeared in several variations. Collectors actively look for differences across these variations, which include changes in the "Keglined" emblem design, differing instructional panel layouts, revisions to mandatory brewery text, and subtle alterations in graphic coloring.

As one of the debut labels of commercial beer canning, the Krueger's Cream Ale flat top remains one of the most significant and storied artifacts in the entire hobby of breweriana collecting.