Old Tankard Ale Flat Top Can

Premier-Pabst Old Tankard Ale Can

The Old Tankard Ale flat top can manufactured for the Premier-Pabst Corporation represents an iconic piece of American breweriana from the Peoria Heights, Illinois brewing facility. Following the merger between Premier Malt Products and the Pabst Brewing Company around the end of Prohibition, the Peoria Heights plant served as a primary production center for Pabst's specialty ale offerings, making this can a notable artifact of early canned beer history.

Manufactured using American Can Company's pioneering "Keglined" process, the container features classic period graphics, showcasing Old English-style typography, the trademark arm-and-axe heraldic crest, and the mandatory "Premier-Pabst Corp., Peoria Heights, Ill." brewery identification alongside Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) text.

Collectors actively pursue Peoria Heights examples because they document a specific transitional era in corporate identity before the company consolidated its branding solely under the Pabst Brewing Company name. Multiple variations exist from the Peoria Heights production runs, featuring differences in side-panel instructional text, patent notices, canning plant codes, and lid stampings. These manufacturing differences make the label an enduring favorite among specialized breweriana variation collectors.