Rheinlander Brand Extra Pale Beer Flat Top Can

Seattle's Rheinlander Extra Pale

The Rheinlander Brand Extra Pale Beer can from Century Brewery in Seattle, Washington, holds a distinguished place in Pacific Northwest breweriana. Originating in the late 1930s following the repeal of Prohibition, Century Brewery introduced the Extra Pale line as consumer preferences expanded across the West Coast.

Historical Background

Century Brewery was closely linked with the broader operations of the Seattle Brewing & Malting Company. Master brewer Frank Heigenmooser developed the Extra Pale recipe to complement the brewery's established lineup shortly before departing the Seattle operation. To aggressively promote the brand throughout the city, Century famously erected a massive neon sign atop the brewery facility—measuring nearly one hundred feet across and utilizing tons of structural steel—illuminating the Seattle skyline in red and green neon.

Design and Collector Significance

The can features the prominent Rheinlander branding alongside period-standard Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) designations and mandatory text identifying Century of Seattle, Washington. The lithography reflects pre-World War II graphic design elements, incorporating clean heraldic themes and traditional script lettering.

Known variations exist across Rheinlander flat tops from this era, with differences appearing in brewery mandatory statements, font choices, and minor layout modifications as production and corporate structuring evolved across facilities in Seattle. Because the Century-mandated variation was produced for a relatively focused period in the brand's timeline, it remains an elusive and highly sought-after piece for advanced collectors of Washington state brewing history.