Schaefer America's Oldest Lager Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Schaefer Lehigh Valley Tab Top

Produced for the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company out of its Lehigh Valley plant in Pennsylvania, this 12-ounce container represents a pivotal era in late-twentieth-century American brewing history.

Historical Context

Founded in New York in 1842 by German immigrant brothers Frederick and Maximilian Schaefer, the company built a storied legacy by popularizing traditional lager brewing across the United States. To modernize operations and fend off mounting competition from expanding national mega-brewers, the company opened a state-of-the-art facility in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, known as the Lehigh Valley Plant. The facility served as Schaefer's flagship production center through the remainder of the family-owned era prior to the brand's eventual acquisition by Stroh in the early 1980s.

Can Graphics and Features

The lithography prominently carries the brewery's signature red-and-white color palette, bordered by metallic gold banding and the heritage-rich circular crest. The face emphasizes the historic slogan "America's Oldest Lager Beer," paired with the traditional company motto, "Our Hand Has Never Lost Its Skill," alongside an established date of 1842. The mandatory brewer statements clearly designate the canning origin as The F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Co., Lehigh Valley, PA.

Production Variations

For collectors of vintage breweriana, several variations of this label exist across different container manufacturers. Known differences include versions produced on two-piece aluminum versus drawn-steel bodies, minor typography shifts in the side-panel ingredient declarations, and variations in mandatory text alignment depending on whether the Lehigh Valley plant was listed independently or alongside regional satellite locations.