Pb Class A Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Horlacher PB Class A Store Brand

The PB Class A Beer can holds a notable place in Mid-Atlantic breweriana, representing a classic era of supermarket contract packaging. Manufactured for Packard-Bamberger & Co., Inc.—the iconic Northern New Jersey retail pioneer based in Hackensack—this can was brewed and filled by the Horlacher Brewing Company of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Facing intense competition from expanding national conglomerates, regional independent brewers like Horlacher actively secured partnerships with department stores, grocery cooperatives, and regional merchants to produce private-label store brands. Horlacher produced several house labels alongside its flagship lines, and the PB Class A brand was among the retail-specific offerings distributed across the region.

The can design is defined by bold typography showcasing the "PB" designation and "Class 'A'" title, accompanied by distributor credits for Packard-Bamberger & Co. and the classic phrase "The Taste Tells The Story".

For breweriana specialists, PB Class A cans offer significant historical interest. Documented variations exist among these cans, exhibiting subtle differences in mandatory distributor text formatting, manufacturer seam markings, and layout adjustments across separate production runs. Because store-brand beers were tied to localized distribution chains, this can remains a sought-after piece for collectors documenting Pennsylvania brewing history and mid-century grocery retail artifacts.