Lederbrau Genuine Draft Gallon

Sterling Lederbrau Draft Beer Gallon

The Lederbrau Genuine Draft Gallon is a large-format 128-ounce party can produced by Sterling in Evansville, Indiana. Designed to bring draft beer straight to home consumers, the package features a central pilsner glass motif filled with golden beer, topped by a blue crown insignia containing an Old English lettermark. Bold white script spells out the Germanic "Lederbräu" moniker across the center, anchored below by "Genuine Draft Beer" in yellow lettering. Because bulk draft containers typically held unpasteurized beer, the can includes handling instructions to keep the package refrigerated.

Originally connected to Chicago's Atlantic Brewing Company during the 1960s draft beer revival, the Lederbrau brand was packaged to capitalize on the popularity of home tap dispensers and party-sized kegs. The label was marketed to deliver authentic tavern-style draft beer for social gatherings and home entertaining. Production of the brand eventually expanded through regional brewing arrangements to Evansville, where facilities manufactured the label for distribution across Midwestern markets.

Sterling's roots in Evansville trace back to the late nineteenth century. John Hartmetz and other local brewers operated along Fulton Avenue, consolidating in 1894 to form the Evansville Brewing Association to survive fierce local competition. When Prohibition arrived, the company reorganized as Sterling Products Company, surviving the dry years by manufacturing near-beer, malt extract, and soft drinks. Reopening after repeal in 1933 as Sterling Brewers, Inc., the plant expanded into a dominant regional powerhouse throughout Indiana and the Ohio River Valley before eventual acquisitions during late-twentieth-century brewing consolidations.

Gallon-sized beer cans occupy a dedicated niche within breweriana collecting. Their large surface area allows for expansive, eye-catching lithography that commands attention on display shelves. Because these large party cans were produced in far smaller quantities than standard twelve-ounce cans and were typically discarded after events, examples bearing the Evansville Sterling connection remain prized centerpieces for regional and large-format can enthusiasts.