Olde Frothingslosh Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Miss Olde Frothingslosh Tab Top

This 12-ounce straight steel tab top can was produced by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The face of the container is highlighted by a black-and-white portrait of a smiling woman posing in a swimsuit along a boat dock, holding a floral bouquet and sporting a pageant sash reading "MISS OLDE FROTHINGSLOSH OF 1969". Framed inside an oval enclosed by heavy Victorian-style scrollwork, this imagery depicts Fatima Yechburgh—a fictional persona portrayed by local entertainer Marsha Phillips. The design formed part of a multi-color holiday release during the mid-1970s, which reissued the celebrated novelty pageant winner against a variety of vivid background colors.

Olde Frothingslosh originated during the early 1950s as a running gag on Pittsburgh radio station KDKA, created by morning broadcaster Rege Cordic. Cordic aired spoof advertisements promoting an aristocratic English ale branded as "the pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom," ostensibly crafted by Sir Reginald Frothingslosh IV at Upper Crudney-on-the-Thames. The spoof generated such enthusiastic listener response that in 1954, Pittsburgh Brewing Company acquired the rights to bottle and can the beer as a seasonal Christmas promotion, packaging standard brewery stock beneath the parody label. In the late 1960s, the brewery expanded the humor by introducing Fatima Yechburgh, billed as the winner of the Miss Olde Frothingslosh contest chosen on the basis of "beauty, talent, poise . . . and quantity". The character remained a holiday tradition and promotional staple for decades.

Founded in 1861 by German immigrant Edward Frauenheim, the brewery originated in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood as the Iron City Brewing Company. In 1899, it joined forces with several local competitors to incorporate as the Pittsburgh Brewing Company. The brewery weathered Prohibition by producing ice, soft drinks, and near-beer, emerging upon repeal to resume its position as western Pennsylvania's dominant beer producer. During the postwar era, it established a national reputation for packaging milestones, including the early rollout of the pull-tab opening. Despite industrial consolidation and periodic corporate reorganizations later in the century, the company maintained continuous production as a hallmark Pittsburgh institution.

Within breweriana collecting, Olde Frothingslosh cans hold a celebrated status as quintessential twentieth-century novelty artifacts. The Fatima Yechburgh releases remain particularly popular for their blend of mid-century radio humor, regional civic charm, and playful package graphics.