Pabst Bock Flat Top Can

Vintage Pabst Bock Flat Top Can

Produced during the late 1930s by Premier-Pabst Corporation, this 12-ounce flat top can represents an early milestone in canned beer packaging. Marketed under Pabst's proprietary "TapaCan" designation, the can features the phrasing "12 FL. OZ. SAME AS BOTTLE" along the upper rim and includes a two-city mandatory statement representing the company's multi-location brewing operations. Documented under the opening instructional reference L659, this container carries opening text alongside its pre-World War II tax statement. The front panel is anchored by an illustration of a goat's head set against a circular emblem—the quintessential symbol of traditional bock brewing—above a solid red band with bold lettering.

Pabst Bock was released as a seasonal springtime brew, carrying forward the German tradition of rich, malt-forward dark lagers crafted for late winter and early spring enjoyment. Pabst utilized bold goat iconography across its advertising, signage, and packaging to instantly communicate the bock style to patrons. Bringing the style into flat top cans allowed Pabst to distribute its specialty dark seasonal to a broader audience during the initial nationwide boom of canned beer. The bock label remained a regular seasonal offering for decades before industry consolidation and shifting consumer preferences altered the brewery's portfolio.

The roots of the brewery trace back to 1844 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when Jacob Best established the Empire Brewery. After steamboat captain Frederick Pabst joined the firm and eventually took leadership, the enterprise grew into the powerhouse Pabst Brewing Company. During Prohibition, the business survived by producing malt syrups, soda, and cheese products, ultimately merging with Peoria's Premier Malt Products in 1932 to form the Premier-Pabst Corporation. In 1938, the corporation restored the Pabst Brewing Company name, continuing decades of nationwide brewing prominence.

Pre-World War II flat top cans bearing the short-lived Premier-Pabst corporate imprint and the distinctive "TapaCan" banner hold considerable historical significance for breweriana enthusiasts. Because seasonal bocks were packaged only during limited annual windows compared to flagship pale lagers, these early bock flat tops are especially prized centerpieces among collectors of Milwaukee brewing history and early can manufacturing.