Rainier Special Export Pale Beer Flat Top Can

Sicks' Rainier Special Export Flat Top

This 12-ounce flat top container was produced for Sicks' Seattle Brewing & Malting Co. of Seattle, Washington. A prominent design element of this issue is the corporate text stamped across the lower gold trim, reading "UNIT OF ONE OF THE WORLDS GREAT BREWING ORGANIZATIONS," complemented by the upper rim proclamation "A SICKS' QUALITY PRODUCT." In standard breweriana references, this variation is cataloged under entry 704 in Gene Lilek's opening instruction guide, representing the brewery's post-repeal mid-century packaging.

Rainier is arguably the most famous brewing trademark in Pacific Northwest history, originally named after the towering volcanic peak that forms the backdrop of the Seattle skyline. The Special Export Pale Beer brand was positioned as a premium, full-flavored lager that offered consumers top-tier quality. Regional advertising regularly highlighted the brand's deep local roots, promoting the company as "Washington's Oldest Industrial Institution" and cementing Rainier's status as a household name from Puget Sound to Alaska.

The brewery's origins date back to 1893 with the formation of the Seattle Brewing & Malting Company. When statewide prohibition forced the facility to close in 1916, operations temporarily shifted out of state. Following the repeal of national Prohibition, brewing magnate Emil Sick revived local production under the Century Brewing Association before reclaiming the historic Seattle plant and the Rainier brand name. In 1944, the firm adopted the Sicks' Seattle Brewing & Malting Co. name as Emil Sick expanded his regional brewing network across Washington, Montana, and western Canada. The Seattle plant anchored this enterprise for decades until industry consolidation ultimately led to its acquisition by G. Heileman in 1977.

Mid-century opening instruction flat tops from the Pacific Northwest are highly sought after by regional and national breweriana collectors alike. Specimens bearing the Sicks' Seattle mandatory mark an important chapter in the evolution of Northwest canning, bridging the gap between early instructional containers and the vibrant decorative sets that followed.