Rainier Beer Flat Top Can

Sicks' Spokane Rainier Flat Top

Produced by Sicks' Spokane Brewery in Spokane, Washington, this Rainier Beer flat top represents a notable regional chapter in Pacific Northwest brewing history. Under the leadership of brewing magnate Emil Sick, the enterprise expanded beyond its primary Seattle headquarters, using the Spokane facility to package and distribute Rainier beer across Eastern Washington, Idaho, and the broader Inland Empire.

Mandatory Markings and Variations

While sharing the signature red gothic lettering and heraldic crest elements of the core brand, cans filled at the Spokane facility are distinguished by mandatory text identifying Sicks' Spokane Brewery. This manufacturing statement separates them from counterparts packaged at the Seattle plant. Breweriana collectors document several variations across production runs, encompassing slight shifts in mandatory text placement, variations in background metallic tones, and different top lid stampings applied to meet regional alcohol tax regulations across various distribution territories. Cans bearing the Spokane mandatory text were also issued in decorative sets, including pictorial toast themes and commemorative designs.

The Seattle Wind Tunnel Discovery

Rainier flat tops from the Spokane facility hold a celebrated place in breweriana lore due to their involvement in what is widely considered one of the most famous discoveries in the hobby: the Seattle wind tunnel find. A massive stash of mid-century Rainier cans originating from both the Spokane and Seattle packaging lines was discovered sealed inside a decommissioned aeronautical wind tunnel in Washington. The uncovering of this historic cache drew widespread national attention to regional mandatory variants and solidified these Spokane-brewed flat tops as essential Pacific Northwest collector pieces.