Old Vienna Premium Light Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Old Vienna Light Beer Can History

The Old Vienna Premium Light Beer 12 oz tab top can is a notable example of mid-century budget-tier packaging produced by the Maier Brewing Company in Los Angeles, California. Operating out of its historic facility on East Commercial Street, Maier was well known across the West Coast for manufacturing an extensive array of contract and proprietary labels alongside its flagship Brew 102.

Marketing and Design Features

Old Vienna was marketed primarily as a value-tier offering targeted at price-conscious consumers and supermarket distribution. A well-known design feature found on issues of this can is the integrated "6 for 87¢" promotional price banner printed directly onto the body lithography. The label graphic incorporates traditional European-style crests and script lettering alongside bold mid-century typography, reflecting the era's retail packaging trends.

Manufacturing and Variations

Cans for this brand were supplied by major container fabricators, including the American Can Company and the National Can Corporation. Collectors track variations across different production runs, which feature distinctions such as the inclusion or omission of promotional price text, differences in mandatory state alcohol statements, and distinct manufacturer markings along the seam line.

Maier's extensive portfolio of regional and private-label beers sustained the brewery through intense competition from national macro-breweries, leaving behind a rich assortment of collectible regional breweriana.