Old Style Lager Beer Cone Top Can

Old Style Lager Scenic Cone Top Can

Dating to the late 1930s, this 12-ounce low profile cone top can represents the earliest era of canned packaging at the G. Heileman Brewing Company. Produced by the Continental Can Company, the container features the federally mandated "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" notation, dating its production between 1935 and 1950, alongside a state-required statement specifying that the beer contains no more than four percent alcohol by weight. The container is distinguished by an intricate pictorial lithograph portraying an Old World European village scene. Monks and villagers gather around an outdoor tavern table drinking beer next to barrels branded "Old Style Lager," against a backdrop of timber-framed buildings, an ox cart, and distant alpine peaks. Across the lower green band, the brand name is emblazoned in bold Gothic lettering above the volume and brewery mandatory text.

G. Heileman introduced Old Style Lager in 1902 to evoke traditional German brewing customs, highlighting its use of the classic "Kraeusening" process—a secondary fermentation method that produced natural carbonation and a clean finish. Marketed heavily throughout the Upper Midwest, Old Style became a cultural institution in taverns and ballparks, especially through its enduring association with Midwestern sports broadcasts. Although corporate ownership transitioned in later decades, the brand retained a loyal regional following and remains in production under the stewardship of the Pabst Brewing Company.

The G. Heileman Brewing Company was founded in 1858 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, by German immigrant Gottlieb Heileman and John Gund as the City Brewery. After Gottlieb’s death in 1878, his widow Camilla Heileman took the helm, becoming one of the first female brewery executives in America and guiding the business into a period of remarkable growth. The company navigated Prohibition by selling near-beer, sodas, and malt syrup, positioning itself for immediate success upon Repeal in 1933. When the Continental Can Company unveiled the cone top can in 1935, Heileman was among the very first brewers in the United States to adopt the format. By the late 20th century, aggressive acquisition of regional heritage brands turned Heileman into one of the country's largest brewing empires before financial restructuring led to its absorption in the 1990s.

Pre-World War II cone top cans are deeply admired among breweriana enthusiasts for their transitional container engineering and rich wraparound artwork. The detailed, storybook quality of Heileman's village tavern scene makes it a celebrated visual landmark of early American canning history.