Ortlieb's Export Lager Beer Crowntainer

Ortlieb's Export Crowntainer

The Ortlieb's Export Lager Beer Crowntainer represents a notable chapter in Mid-Atlantic brewing history, packaged by Henry F. Ortlieb in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in the historic Northern Liberties neighborhood along American and Poplar Streets, the Ortlieb brewery grew into one of Philadelphia's defining regional beer producers, standing alongside iconic local contemporaries such as Esslinger, Gretz, and C. Schmidt & Sons.

During the mid-20th century packaging boom, regional brewers sought alternatives to standard glass bottles and traditional three-piece flat-top cans. Ortlieb adopted the two-piece Crowntainer design developed by the Crown Cork & Seal Company. The format allowed breweries to use existing bottling and capping machinery without needing major retrofits for can seamers.

Ortlieb's Export Lager branding distinguished this offering from the brewery's standard lager and ale lines, catering to consumers seeking a premium profile. For breweriana collectors, Ortlieb Crowntainers are widely appreciated artifacts of Philadelphia's mid-century industrial brewing heritage. Variations exist across Ortlieb's Crowntainer lineup, differing in label color schemes, mandatory brewery statements, and tax-paid notations.