Redtop Extra Dry Beer Flat Top Can

Redtop Extra Dry: Wunderbräu Era

The Redtop Extra Dry Beer Flat Top Can bearing the Wunderbräu brewery credit represents a fascinating chapter in mid-century Cincinnati brewing history. While Redtop was the flagship label of the Red Top Brewing Company—operating from the historic Dayton Street brewing district—the enterprise utilized the "Wunderbräu Brewing Co." trade name during its final operational era in the 1950s.

The Illustrated Activity Series

During this period, the brewery produced an ambitious packaging campaign featuring multi-colored, pictorial cans. These graphics showcased lively illustrations of popular sports, social hobbies, and leisure pastimes, including baseball, golf, cooking, circus acts, and music motifs. While most cans in the market featured the traditional Red Top Brewing Company mandatory line, a much smaller run was packaged bearing the Wunderbräu Brewing Co. designation.

Because the Wunderbräu-marked versions saw significantly lower distribution, they are considerably harder to locate than standard Red Top releases. Various design variations exist across different subject matters and background color combinations, making these cans highly sought after by regional and thematic collectors.

Corporate Lore and Baseball Connection

The Wunderbräu period coincided with major corporate restructuring aimed at countering post-war industry consolidation. In an effort to revitalize sales, the brewery appointed former New York Yankees baseball standout Tommy Henrich as company president. Henrich spearheaded televised promotional blitzes and brand redesigns, aligning with the introduction of the Wunderbräu trade identity shortly before Cincinnati production ended.

Today, cans featuring the Redtop Extra Dry branding paired with the Cincinnati Wunderbräu manufacturer line serve as significant historical artifacts from Ohio's mid-century brewing landscape.