Old Dutch Beer 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

Old Dutch Beer 12 oz Zip Top Can

The Can

This 12-ounce straight steel can represents the self-opening era of the mid-1960s, featuring the zip top and tab top closures that transformed the beer packaging industry. The label presentation features the brand's distinctive Old Dutch gothic lettering set over ornamental vine flourishes. Above the brand name rests an illustrative vignette of an elderly couple sharing a drink across a checkered tablecloth. Below the central red band, the lower front panel displays the bold promotional slogan, "FIVE PREMIUM BARLEY MALTS MAKE THIS ONE GREAT BEER!" Catalog records document examples with both zip top and tab top lid configurations for this design.

The Brand

Old Dutch Beer debuted around the turn of the twentieth century in northwestern Ohio. The brand's signature imagery of the elderly couple was inspired by a traditional painting adapted for the brewery's trademark early in the 1900s. Long marketed as a wholesome regional staple, Old Dutch was promoted with taglines emphasizing craftsmanship and ingredients. Following corporate acquisitions in the 1950s and 1960s, the brand changed ownership several times after the original brewery ceased production, eventually being brewed under contract by other regional producers, including Associated Brewing Company and Pittsburgh Brewing Company.

The Brewery

The brew originated with the Krantz Brewing Company, founded in Findlay, Ohio, in 1898 on Jefferson Street. The brewery survived the dry years of Prohibition by restructuring as The Krantz Products Company to make non-alcoholic beverages and related goods. After repeal in 1933, brewing resumed, and the company reorganized as Krantz Brewing Corporation in 1936. In 1957, Krantz merged into International Breweries, Inc., a conglomerate that operated regional facilities across multiple states. The Findlay facility operated under International Breweries until market pressures prompted the permanent closure of the Findlay plant in 1966.

Collecting Context

Mid-1960s straight steel tab tops and zip tops from regional Midwestern brewers hold enduring appeal for breweriana enthusiasts. This can marks a pivotal moment of corporate consolidation and technological transition in the brewing industry, preserving the legacy of Findlay's historic brewing heritage.