Royal Beer Cone Top Can

Reno's Royal Beer Cone Top

The Royal Beer cone top can represents a classic mid-1930s package from the Reno Brewing Company of Reno, Nevada. This 12-ounce, low-profile cone top was manufactured by the Continental Can Company, which partnered with the brewery to launch canned beer in northern Nevada in 1936. This specific release is distinguished by the inclusion of an Internal Revenue tax-paid statement alongside the absence of an alcohol content declaration. The can features a striking Western gaming motif, centered around a hand fanning out a winning royal flush in hearts, tied directly to the "Royal" name, the slogan "IT CAN'T BE BEAT", and the company's ram-in-a-horseshoe trademark.

Royal Beer originated in the early 1900s as one of the brewery's original bottled products. Following the repeal of Prohibition, the brand was revived and marketed with its iconic poker-inspired theme, promoting the clean pour and light protection provided by early metal cans. While Royal Beer enjoyed popularity in local saloons and stores during the late 1930s, the company eventually phased it out to concentrate marketing resources on its flagship Sierra Beer label.

The Reno Brewing Company was established in 1903 on East 4th Street by German immigrant Jacob Hook and partners John Maurer and Peter Dohr. The business expanded rapidly to become Nevada's largest and most prominent commercial brewing enterprise. During Prohibition, the company survived by pivoting production to near-beer, soda water, seltzers, and ice. Following Repeal, business surged, culminating in the construction of a modern bottling facility in 1940. Despite its regional popularity, the independent brewery faced steep postwar competition and distribution pressures from expanding national brewing conglomerates, ultimately leading to its closure in 1957.

Because Nevada had a small population and only a couple of operating breweries during the early canning era, surviving cans from the state are particularly prized in the hobby. The Royal Beer cone top remains a standout piece among collectors of vintage cone tops, Western advertising, and classic gaming-themed breweriana.