Rainier Beer Flat Top Can

Rainier Flat Top Can History

The Rainier Beer flat top can produced by Sicks' Rainier Brewing in Seattle, Washington, holds an esteemed place in Pacific Northwest breweriana. Under the leadership of Emil Sick, the brewery revitalized the historic Rainier brand, anchoring its visual identity to the silhouette of Mount Rainier and celebrating regional culture.

A major event in breweriana lore directly tied to this can is the famed "Seattle wind tunnel find." A massive, forgotten cache of Rainier cans was uncovered inside a decommissioned local wind tunnel facility. This landmark discovery made headlines across the collecting community, revealing many previously elusive examples and significantly expanding the documentation of the brewery's graphic output.

Beyond standard corporate labels, the brewery produced celebrated thematic releases known among collectors as the Jubilee and Party series. These illustrated cans featured scenes depicting outdoor recreation, musical gatherings, mid-century social life, and Pacific Northwest folklore, such as Paul Bunyan. Many of these cans were produced by the American Can Company and carry the "Keglined" trademark along the seam.

Collectors actively study this can for its various production variations. Shifts in mandatory brewery text, rim lettering layouts, American Can Company factory codes, side-seam construction styles, and a wide array of metallic background colors distinguish the different production runs from the Seattle facility.