Schaefer America's Oldest Lager Beer 16 Oz Tab Top Can

Schaefer 16 Oz Lager Beer Can

The "America's Oldest Lager Beer" 16-ounce tab top can issued by the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Co. of New York represents a notable era in East Coast brewing history. Founded in 1842 by German immigrant brothers Frederick and Maximilian Schaefer, the company built an enduring legacy on introducing and popularizing traditional lager brewing throughout the United States.

By the mid-20th century, Schaefer had grown into one of the nation's leading regional powerhouses, driven by its iconic advertising slogan: "The one beer to have when you're having more than one". The 16-ounce pint format was heavily promoted to sports fans and working-class consumers who preferred larger individual servings at ballparks, racetracks, and social gatherings. Schaefer was deeply intertwined with East Coast sports culture, sponsoring broadcasts for the Brooklyn Dodgers and famously holding the original naming rights to Schaefer Stadium in Massachusetts.

The graphic design highlights the historic "America's Oldest Lager Beer" banner framed by Schaefer's classic red-and-gold motif and circular crest. Variations exist across production runs, primarily seen in differing brewery city mandatory statements—such as New York, Albany, Baltimore, or Lehigh Valley—as well as minor alterations in can manufacturer marks and mandatory side text. For collectors of metropolitan breweriana and large-format packaging, this pint can serves as a hallmark of New York's brewing heyday.