Ortlieb's Philadelphia's Famous Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Ortlieb's Coal Mining Beer Can

Issued during the mid-1970s as part of the Henry F. Ortlieb Brewing Company’s Americana Collection, this 12 oz aluminum tab top can pays tribute to the Keystone State’s industrial heritage. Framed inside red and blue border stripes reflecting the patriotic fervor of the era, the central illustration is titled "Coal Mining in Pennsylvania". The detailed black-and-white graphic highlights miners in hard hats alongside extraction machinery, conveyers, and surface tipple equipment, celebrating the laborers who built the state's coal industry.

Ortlieb’s was marketed as "Philadelphia’s Famous Beer," emphasizing an unbroken tradition tracing back to 1869. The brand enjoyed deep local loyalty across eastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region. In the 1970s, the brand became widely recognized for its candid, folksy television commercials starring company president Joseph Ortlieb. Promoted affectionately as "Joe's Beer," the campaign championed local, traditional brewing over homogenized national mega-brands.

The Henry F. Ortlieb Brewing Company operated in the historic Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia. Tracing its origin to German immigrant Trupert Ortlieb and later incorporated under Henry F. Ortlieb, the brewery survived Prohibition by manufacturing near beer and related beverages. After Repeal, Ortlieb modernized and expanded its footprint on North American Street, eventually acquiring other regional labels such as Kaier and Neuweiler. Despite fierce local loyalty, the pressure of industry consolidation forced the brewery to close its historic plant in 1981, after which the brand was sold to the Christian Schmidt Brewing Company.

Among breweriana collectors, this can stands out as a prime example of 1970s thematic commemorative sets. The Americana Collection cans remain sought after by collectors of Pennsylvania regional breweriana, industrial-themed graphic cans, and pull tab era packaging.