Old Georgetown Premium Quality Beer Flat Top Can

Heurich's Historic Georgetown Can

The Old Georgetown Premium Quality Beer flat top can represents one of the final and most graphically striking releases from the Christian Heurich Brewing Company of Washington, D.C. Introduced during the 1950s prior to the historic Foggy Bottom plant closing in 1956, the can serves as a collector-favorite tribute to the District's brewing past.

Graphic Design and Cartography

What sets this can apart in breweriana collections is its detailed pictorial map of historic Georgetown. Rather than relying solely on conventional heraldry, the face incorporates an illustrated street map highlighting historic local landmarks. Notable callouts include Dumbarton Oaks, Suter's Tavern, the Francis Scott Key residence, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (marked as the Cumberland Canal), and the Heurich Brewery complex itself along the Potomac River. This design aligned with the era's civic movement to preserve neighborhood architecture following the passage of the Old Georgetown Act.

Production and Collector Variations

Manufactured with American Can Company's "Keglined" patent, the can exists in several recognized variations. Collectors distinguish between versions featuring lighter tan backgrounds and versions with richer, darker brown tones. Additionally, different production runs feature subtle differences in the scale of the front label graphic and framing.

Historical Significance

As one of the last flagship packaging designs issued by Washington's largest and longest-operating historic brewery, the can holds special status among regional collectors. After the brewery ceased operations, the riverside facility was demolished to clear the land for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, making the can a tangible artifact of pre-redevelopment Foggy Bottom brewing history.