Old German Brand Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Eastern's Old German Tab Top

This 12-ounce straight steel tab top container represents a classic mid-twentieth-century packaging era for Eastern Brewing Corporation of Hammonton, New Jersey. A notable layout feature of this specific release is the volume declaration positioned along the bottom margin below the prominent cursive tagline, "Brewed with Pure Artesian Well Water." The face of the can is anchored by a stylized Germanic eagle emblem perched directly above a central red shield, flanked on both sides by vertical wheat sheaves framing the bold block and blackletter lettering.

Old German Brand Beer was marketed as an approachable, Old World style lager designed for everyday value. To project an image of traditional brewing purity, the brand relied heavily on classic heraldic imagery and emphasized its local subterranean water source. Eastern Brewing maintained the Old German label over multiple decades, transitioning its presentation seamlessly from mid-century flat tops to modern pull-tab formats to keep pace with evolving retail packaging trends.

Eastern Brewing Corporation began operations on North Washington Street in Hammonton shortly after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Serving as the only commercial brewery in Hammonton, the company carved out a sustainable niche in the regional marketplace. While major national conglomerates dominated prime television advertising, Eastern sustained long-term success by serving as a high-volume packaging specialist, producing numerous proprietary value brands, contract regional beers, and private-label supermarket lines. The South Jersey facility navigated decades of heavy industry consolidation before finally shuttering operations in the early 1990s.

Today, the can remains an engaging piece of Garden State breweriana. Collectors of Mid-Atlantic regional packaging and straight steel pull tabs value Old German cans for their striking graphic contrast, classic mid-century heraldic themes, and the various subtle design variations that emerged across Eastern's extensive production runs.