Van Dyke Export Beer 12 Oz Zip Top Can

Van Dyke Export Beer Zip Top Can

The Van Dyke Export Beer 12-ounce can is a straight steel container produced during the late 1960s self-opening can era. Sealed with a zip top, the can features graphics that emphasize continental brewing tradition. The lower front displays a stylized circular portrait medallion of a cavalier above a decorative banner reading "Brewed the Old World Way". An ornate heraldic crest flanked by rampant lions crowns the central blue shield, while mandatory text running along the side seam indicates that the beverage was brewed and canned by The Van Dyke Brewing Company in St. Charles, Missouri.

Van Dyke Export Beer was introduced in 1967 as a flagship offering of the newly founded venture, positioned as a full-flavored brew prepared according to traditional European methods. The brand employed Old World styling and heraldic motifs to appeal to consumers seeking authentic heritage during an era dominated by large macrobreweries. Distributed regionally throughout eastern Missouri alongside Van Dyke Lager, the export label remained in circulation only until the facility shut down around 1970.

The Van Dyke Brewing Company operated out of a historic brewery property at 300 Water and 3rd Streets in St. Charles. Brewing on the parcel dated to the mid-nineteenth century through various operators, including the Spring Brewery and Schibi Spring Brewing Co. before Prohibition. Following Repeal, the facility housed the Fischbach Brewing Company, which famously utilized natural subterranean limestone caverns beneath Water Street for aging and storage. After Fischbach closed in the mid-1960s, Nicholas Van Dyke acquired the underground cellars and brewhouse, reviving commercial brewing under the Van Dyke name from 1967 to 1970 before the location was eventually repurposed for winemaking.

Because the Van Dyke Brewing Company operated for only three years, cans from this small St. Charles enterprise are popular among collectors of Midwestern breweriana and early tab-top designs. Its straight steel construction, short production window, and striking heraldic imagery make it a notable piece of Missouri's post-war regional brewing history.