Pabst Export Beer Flat Top Can

Pabst Export Beer TapaCan Flat Top

Produced during the Premier-Pabst Corporation era in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this 12-ounce flat top represents the pioneering years of canned beer. The can is distinguished by the "TapaCan" trademark displayed near the upper rim. Along the top shoulder, it features the notable volume declaration reading "12 FL. OZ. OR 35 CENTILITERS, SAME AS BOTTLE." Cataloged with an OW tax statement, this mandatory marking indicates a tax-exempt status associated with overseas shipment, military supply, or foreign export. The label displays red script Pabst lettering outlined in blue above the circular "Pabst Breweries" crest, which encloses the historic hop-leaf emblem containing the letter "B."

Following the repeal of Prohibition, Pabst introduced canned beer under the Pabst Export Beer label in late 1935, heavily advertising its proprietary "TapaCan" format. Backed by promotional slogans such as "Brewery Goodness Sealed Right In," marketing campaigns touted the package as airtight, tamper-evident, stackable, and flavor-protected. While Export served as the primary label for the company's early flat top packaging, the brewery gradually phased the brand out in favor of the flagship Pabst Blue Ribbon moniker.

The can originates from Milwaukee, where German immigrant Jacob Best founded the brewery in 1844. Best's son-in-law, steamship captain Frederick Pabst, took over leadership in the late 19th century and turned the operation into the largest brewery in the United States, officially renaming the firm the Pabst Brewing Company in 1889. During Prohibition, the enterprise adapted by manufacturing malt extract, soft drinks, and processed cheese before merging with Harris Perlstein's Premier Malt Products in 1932 to form Premier-Pabst. The company eventually reverted to the Pabst Brewing Company name in 1938 and remained a dominant force in American brewing throughout the twentieth century.

For breweriana collectors, early flat tops from the initial years of canned beer hold enduring historical significance. This Pabst Export can is especially valued for its pre-war "TapaCan" identification, metric centiliter text, and OW tax classification, which together document the commercial packaging innovations of early American canned beer.