Rolling Rock Premium Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Rolling Rock Latrobe Tab Top Can

Brewed by the Latrobe Brewing Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the Rolling Rock Premium Beer 12 oz tab top can is a staple of mid-to-late twentieth-century American breweriana. Latrobe Brewing Company, established in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania, made Rolling Rock into a household name with its recognizable green trade dress and storied folklore.

Design and Iconography

The graphic presentation on this can mirrors the classic look originally popularized on Latrobe's painted green longneck bottles. Prominently featured on the front face is the white horse head framed inside a horseshoe, set against a rich green background with bold white lettering.

Equally famous among collectors is the brewery pledge printed on the can: "From the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe, we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment, as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you." Below the pledge sits the enigmatic number "33". Over the decades, breweriana enthusiasts and folklore buffs have debated the origin of the "33"—theories range from marking the year Prohibition was repealed, to the word count of the original pledge, to a printer's footnote indicating text length that was mistakenly included on the final lithograph.

Collector Notes & Variations

Collectors document various production iterations across the run of this Latrobe-brewed can. Notable variations include differences in mandatory text, such as changes in the line count of ingredient statements, the introduction of metric volume measurements, and the addition of universal product codes (UPC) on later printings. Minor shifts in typography and seam markings also distinguish cans produced across different manufacturing suppliers that serviced the Latrobe plant.

Because Rolling Rock later transitioned ownership and production departed the original Pennsylvania facility, cans bearing the authentic "Latrobe Brewing Co., Latrobe, PA" mandatory notice remain especially prized among regional breweriana collectors.