P.o.c. Pilsener Extra Dry Beer Flat Top Can

Cleveland's P.O.C. Flat Top Can

The P.O.C. Pilsener Extra Dry Beer flat top can is a staple of mid-century Ohio breweriana, produced by the Pilsener Brewing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1892 by Bohemian brewer Wenzel Medlin at the corner of Clark Avenue and West 65th Street—an area historically known as Pilsener Square—the brewery stood as one of the city's defining industrial landmarks.

The "P.O.C." acronym originally represented "Pilsner of Cleveland," though it became famous for its shifting meanings throughout regional lore and marketing history. Local residents widely referred to the brand as the "Pride of Cleveland," while official mid-century advertising experimented with slogans such as "Premium of Course". Following the sale of the label to Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Brewing Company in the 1960s, the brand identity was repurposed to mean "Pleasure on Call".

The "Extra Dry" labeling highlights the mid-twentieth-century trend among regional brewers to promote lighter, drier lagers. Manufactured by the Continental Can Company, the container features bold, high-contrast block lettering and clean mid-century layout design.

Among breweriana collectors, the can remains a prized artifact of Great Lakes brewing history. Several variations exist across manufacturing runs, including differences in background coloration, metallic accents, and state tax lid stampings produced for regional distribution.