Rainier Beer Flat Top Can

Spokane Rainier Beer Flat Top

Produced by Sicks' Spokane Brewery in Spokane, Washington, this Rainier Beer can represents an important chapter in Pacific Northwest brewing history. Under the leadership of brewing magnate Emil Sick, the enterprise expanded beyond its flagship Seattle facility, utilizing the Spokane plant to package and distribute Rainier Beer across Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and the broader Inland Northwest.

Distinguishing Characteristics & Variations

Cans filled at the Spokane facility are identified by mandatory text explicitly reading "Sicks' Spokane Brewery," distinguishing them from sister cans issued out of the primary Seattle location. The graphic design centers around the recognizable red gothic Rainier script and traditional heraldic branding set against metallic paneling.

Collectors recognize multiple variations associated with the Spokane facility. These variations include subtle shifts in mandatory statement formatting, slight adjustments in background metallic tones, and distinct top lid stampings applied to satisfy regional alcohol tax and control regulations across neighboring distribution territories. The Spokane plant also produced cans featured in decorative sets and thematic pictorial runs.

The Seattle Wind Tunnel Discovery

Rainier flat tops from both the Spokane and Seattle facilities are famously connected to one of the most celebrated events in breweriana collecting history: the Seattle wind tunnel discovery. A massive cache of Rainier cans from both packaging lines was uncovered inside a decommissioned aeronautical wind tunnel in Washington. This landmark find brought significant hobby attention to Emil Sick's mid-century packaging and highlighted the regional manufacturing differences throughout his brewing network. Spokane-labeled Rainier cans remain essential historical pieces among Pacific Northwest breweriana collectors.