Olde English Brand "800" Malt Liquor 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Blitz-Weinhard Olde English 800

The Olde English "800" Malt Liquor 12 oz tab top can from the Blitz-Weinhard Company of Portland, Oregon, represents a pivotal piece of American malt liquor packaging history.

The lineage of the brand traces back to Ruff's Olde English Stout, produced by Peoples Brewing Company of Minnesota, which later became Olde English "600" under Bohemian Breweries in Spokane, Washington. After Blitz-Weinhard acquired the brand, it was rebranded as Olde English "800". The beverage quickly surged in popularity, eventually developing into Blitz-Weinhard's flagship and most commercially significant label, a major factor in the brewery's eventual acquisition by the Pabst Brewing Company in 1979.

For breweriana enthusiasts, this can is notable for establishing the graphic identity that became synonymous with the brand for decades: distinctive Old English blackletter typography, heraldic crest elements, and the prominent "800" designation.

Among collectors, variations exist across production runs, often distinguished by differences in can manufacturer marks—such as Continental Can Company factory stamps—as well as slight shifts in mandatory alcohol statements and peripheral text layout. It remains an essential entry for collectors documenting mid-century Pacific Northwest brewing and the history of vintage malt liquor labels.