Rainier Beer Flat Top Can

Spokane-Brewed Rainier Flat Top

The Rainier Beer flat top can produced by Sicks' Spokane Brewery in Spokane, Washington, represents a notable chapter in Pacific Northwest brewing history. Under the leadership of Emil Sick, the enterprise operated regional production facilities in both Seattle and Spokane to efficiently supply beer across Washington, the Inland Empire, and neighboring markets.

Identification and Variations

Cans filled at the Spokane plant are distinguished by mandatory brewery text crediting Sicks' Spokane Brewery (or Sicks' Rainier Brewing Co. in Spokane), separating them from those issued out of the company's Seattle facility. The can showcases the recognizable red gothic Rainier script alongside traditional heraldic brand elements. Collectors recognize various variations of this Spokane can, which exhibit subtle differences in mandatory phrasing layout, top lid alcohol tax stampings, and metallic background color treatments.

The Wind Tunnel Discovery

Rainier flat tops from this era are famously tied to a legendary event in breweriana collecting: the Seattle wind tunnel discovery. A massive cache containing thousands of unused Rainier flat top cans from both the Seattle and Spokane facilities was uncovered inside a decommissioned aeronautical wind tunnel. This landmark find brought significant national attention to the brand's mid-century packaging and highlighted the regional manufacturing differences throughout Emil Sick's brewing network.