Olympia Pale Export Type Beer Flat Top Can

Olympia Pale Export Flat Top Can

This 12-ounce flat top can represents the mid-twentieth-century canning era of the Pacific Northwest's most famous regional brew. The label showcases the classic golden horseshoe emblem marked with the traditional "Good Luck" wish, framing a scenic illustration of Tumwater Falls and the river bridge, flanked by stalks of barley and hop clusters. Below the central emblem, the design highlights the brewery's legendary tagline and notes its reliance on local artesian wells. Collectors identify this specific production variation by the larger mandatory brewery statement printed along the bottom edge, which reads "Brewed and Filled by Olympia Brewing Co., Olympia, Washington" alongside the "Founded 1896" commemorative text.

Brand History

Olympia Pale Export was introduced on October 1, 1896, formulated as a light, refreshing export-style lager. In the early 1900s, brewery executive Frank Kenney coined the phrase "It's the Water," which became one of the most enduring advertising slogans in American brewing history. The marketing emphasized that the pure, natural mineral profile of the local artesian springs was essential to the beer's clean taste. Over the decades, Olympia grew from a local favorite into a dominant regional powerhouse throughout the western United States.

The Olympia Brewing Company

The brewery was established in 1896 as the Capital Brewing Company by German immigrant brewmaster Leopold F. Schmidt, who recognized that Tumwater Falls on the Deschutes River offered both ideal water and hydroelectric power. In 1902, the firm was renamed the Olympia Brewing Company. Washington enacted statewide prohibition early in 1916, prompting the company to pivot into fruit juices, syrups, and commercial refrigeration until Repeal in 1933. After World War II, the Schmidt family modernized the Tumwater facilities and expanded distribution across multiple states. In the 1970s, Olympia acquired other regional giants, including Hamm's and Lone Star, before corporate consolidation eventually led to its purchase by Pabst and the ultimate closure of the historic Tumwater plant in 2003.

Collecting Context

Vintage Olympia flat tops remain essential cornerstones for Pacific Northwest breweriana collections and mid-century canned beer enthusiasts. The brand's timeless horseshoe trademark, memorable slogans, and subtle text variations across differing canning runs make these cans enduringly popular showpieces among hobbyists studying post-war regional brewing.