Krug Pilsner Type Beer Flat Top Can

Krug Pilsener Type Beer Flat Top

Manufactured in the late 1930s by the American Can Company, this 12-ounce flat top can carries the mandatory Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement characteristic of pre-1950 brewing vessels. The front display is highlighted by a German-inspired centerpiece: an ornate white ceramic stein—a krug—complete with an open lid, foaming head, and a circled "K" monogram, centered inside a crimson circular medallion. Beneath this focal illustration, the brand name flows across the navy background in shaded lettering above the designation "Pilsener Type Beer".

Taking its name directly from the traditional drinking vessel depicted on its face, Krug was packaged as a proprietary offering brewed exclusively for Martell's Wine, Liquor and Cigar Stores. Retailers and regional merchants during the post-Repeal period often contracted with established packaging breweries to market store-exclusive private labels, utilizing Old World European motifs to emphasize craftsmanship and heritage. Tailored to local Northern California consumers seeking a traditional pilsener-style lager, the label enjoyed a brief commercial life before disappearing as wartime metal restrictions and shifting market dynamics altered regional distribution.

The beer was produced by the San Francisco Brewing Corporation, located along 10th Street in San Francisco. The operation traced its lineage back to 1868, starting as the Bay Brewery under Charles Frederick Lurmann before becoming known as the Milwaukee Brewery of San Francisco. The company weathered Prohibition by turning out non-alcoholic cereal beverages and soft drinks, reorganizing after Repeal to become the San Francisco Brewing Corporation in 1935. Although best remembered as the creator of the popular Burgermeister brand—which proved so successful that the brewery renamed itself Burgermeister Brewing Corporation in 1956—private contract work for local retailers formed an essential part of the business. The historic 10th Street facility was later acquired by Schlitz in 1961 and operated under Falstaff before closing permanently in the 1970s.

Pre-World War II flat top cans from West Coast breweries hold significant historical appeal among breweriana collectors. Because Krug was distributed through a specific retail chain rather than across broad regional networks, surviving examples from this era are far less common than mass-market labels, making it an evocative artifact of mid-century San Francisco brewing history.