Rheingold Genuine Bock Flat Top Can

Rheingold Genuine Bock Flat Top

This 12-ounce flat top container dates to the 1950s and represents the seasonal bock packaging issued by Liebmann Breweries, Inc. from their facility in Orange, New Jersey. The face of the can features two rearing white goats balancing a shared goblet of foaming beer, paying homage to the traditional German association between goats and bock-style lagers. This illustration sits above a bold red field displaying the classic Fraktur-style "Rheingold" brand name, an enclosed oval marked "GENUINE", and clean lettering identifying the Orange, New Jersey plant along the bottom edge.

Rheingold was introduced in the late 19th century and evolved into one of the most dominant regional beer brands in the Northeastern United States. While the flagship Rheingold Extra Dry lager became a household name through high-profile sports sponsorships and the famous annual "Miss Rheingold" beauty contests, the seasonal Genuine Bock was released each spring as a richer, malt-forward specialty. The brand maintained massive market share throughout the mid-20th century before facing steep pressure from national macrobreweries in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Liebmann Breweries traced its origins to 1854, when German immigrant Samuel Liebmann established operations in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The family-run enterprise survived Prohibition by producing near-beer and malt products, emerging after repeal to expand rapidly across the New York metropolitan market. In 1950, Liebmann acquired the former John F. Trommer brewing plant in Orange, New Jersey, designating it as Plant No. 3 to satisfy rising regional demand. The company subsequently operated the Orange site under the corporate and brand umbrellas until broad industry consolidation prompted the facility's shutdown in 1977.

Vintage bock cans occupy a celebrated specialty among breweriana enthusiasts because they were distributed in smaller, limited seasonal runs compared to everyday lagers. This Orange, New Jersey issue remains a popular piece of mid-century East Coast brewing history, prized for its dynamic twin-goat imagery and gleaming gold backdrop.