Old Heidel Brau Lager Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Pittsburgh's Walgreens Contract Can

The Old Heidel Brau Lager Beer 12 oz tab top can represents a classic chapter in American private-label contract brewing. Produced by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this label was packaged exclusively for retail distribution through Walgreens drugstores.

During the expansion of store-brand packaging, major retail chains frequently partnered with established regional breweries to offer proprietary, budget-friendly labels. Pittsburgh Brewing Company, widely recognized for its flagship Iron City brand and pioneering metal packaging innovations, utilized its canning facilities to package Old Heidel Brau alongside other retail-exclusive accounts.

The can design embraces traditional Germanic heraldic imagery and classic typography, reflecting the heritage-driven aesthetics commonly applied to American lagers of the period. For breweriana enthusiasts, known variations of the can exist across different production runs, featuring differences in metal composition as well as subtle adjustments to the mandatory brewery text and mandatory distributor markings.

Because private-label store brands were distributed primarily through drugstore retail aisles rather than standard tavern distribution channels, Old Heidel Brau remains an appealing historical piece for collectors focusing on Pittsburgh Brewing Company issues and retail chain contract brands.