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 era of regional brewing expansion across the Pacific Northwest under the leadership of brewing magnate Emil Sick. The Spokane facility served as a key packaging and distribution hub, supplying beer throughout the Inland Empire and adjacent regional markets.

Regional Identification and Design

Cans packaged at the Spokane plant are distinguished by mandatory text identifying Sicks' Spokane Brewery, differentiating them from examples filled at the company's primary Seattle operation. The visual design highlights the classic red Rainier gothic script set against metallic paneling, framed by the brand's traditional heraldry and regional motifs.

Breweriana collectors document several variations of this Spokane can. These variations feature subtle differences in the typography and layout of mandatory statements, shifts in background color tones, and distinct top lid stampings created to comply with state alcohol control regulations across different distribution territories. The Spokane facility also produced cans associated with decorative illustrated toast themes and pictorial scene sets.

The Seattle Wind Tunnel Discovery

Rainier flat tops from the Spokane plant are famously tied to one of the most celebrated events in breweriana collecting history: the Seattle wind tunnel discovery. A massive cache of Rainier cans originating from both the Spokane and Seattle packaging operations was discovered stored inside a decommissioned aeronautical wind tunnel in Washington. This landmark discovery brought widespread hobby attention to Emil Sick's mid-century packaging network and highlighted the regional mandatory printings issued by the Spokane plant.