Stegmaier Bock 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Wilkes-Barre Bock Tab Top

The Stegmaier Bock 12 oz tab top can is a prominent piece of Pennsylvania breweriana, originating from the historic Stegmaier Brewing Company in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1857 by German immigrant Charles Stegmaier, the enterprise grew to become one of the largest regional brewing powerhouses in the northeastern United States.

Bock beers were traditionally brewed as a seasonal offering released for late winter and early spring. Because seasonal runs were packaged in far smaller quantities than flagship year-round lagers, bock cans remain an enduring focal point for regional breweriana collections. The can's graphics prominently feature the traditional bock goat motif set against classic Stegmaier typography and heraldic elements.

The tab top era marked the closing chapter of independent production at Stegmaier's landmark brewery complex on Market and Baltimore Streets. In 1974, brewing operations at the historic facility ended when the brand and labels were acquired by the neighboring Lion Brewery (The Lion, Inc.) of Wilkes-Barre, which continued the Stegmaier label in the city. The original brewhouse itself was later preserved and restored as a designated historic landmark in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

Throughout its manufacturing history, known variations of the Stegmaier Bock tab top exist. These variations include production transitions between steel and all-aluminum can bodies, top lid revisions, subtle shifts in mandatory brewery text formatting, and tonal differences in the goat emblem.