Old Reading Beer Crowntainer

Old Reading Beer Crowntainer

This 12-ounce Old Reading Beer container is an authentic example of Crown Cork & Seal’s drawn-steel Crowntainer design from the 1940s. Characteristic of cans produced during this era, it includes an Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) statement printed on its bare metallic silver body. The front of the can features a prominent dark blue oval frame showcasing the brewery's cheerful mascot, Old Gus, winking while hoisting a foaming glass stein above stylized lettering.

Old Reading was positioned as a dependable regional brew deeply rooted in the traditions of Berks County and southeastern Pennsylvania. In the late 1930s, the brewery adopted Old Gus across its packaging, tavern signs, and tap knobs to personify traditional brewing craftsmanship and hearty German-American hospitality. Accompanied by slogans celebrating its Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, the brand enjoyed intense local loyalty for generations. In the late 1950s, the flagship offering was reformulated and rebranded as Reading Premium, marketed as "The Friendly Beer" before the label eventually changed corporate hands.

The enterprise traces its origins to 1886 with the founding of the Reading Brewing Company at Ninth and Laurel streets in Reading, Pennsylvania. When national Prohibition took effect in 1920, the facility adapted by producing cereal beverages and near-beer under the name Health Beverage Company, operating in a region known for keeping local taps flowing despite federal bans. Following the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1933, the business was reorganized as The Old Reading Brewery, Inc. The plant thrived through the post-World War II period, distributing widely across the Mid-Atlantic. However, rising production costs and the aggressive expansion of national brewing empires created intense pressure, culminating in the brewery's closure in 1976 and the sale of its labels to Philadelphia's Christian Schmidt Brewing Company.

Crowntainers occupy a dedicated niche within breweriana collecting, prized for their distinct seamless profiles and mid-century aesthetic. Cans featuring character-driven mascots like Old Gus set against bright metallic backgrounds remain enduring favorites among collectors of Pennsylvania breweriana and cone tops.