Wooden Shoe Lager Beer Cone Top Can

Wooden Shoe Lager Beer Cone Top

The Wooden Shoe Lager Beer cone top can represents one of the most recognizable graphic packages to emerge from western Ohio's regional brewing heritage. Produced for the Wooden Shoe Brewing Company in Minster, Ohio, the can showcases a trademark that became the centerpiece of the local brewery's identity.

Brewery Heritage

Minster's commercial brewing history traces back to Franz Lange in the nineteenth century, eventually evolving through names like Star Brewery and Star Beverage Company. The "Wooden Shoe" brand was introduced in 1913, drawing inspiration from regional heritage. Following the repeal of Prohibition, the brand's regional popularity prompted the brewery to adopt the Wooden Shoe Brewing Company name entirely.

Can Design and Production

Manufactured by the Continental Can Company under their Cap-Sealed line, this high-profile container is distinguished by its crisp front face featuring the classic pair of Dutch wooden clogs. The graphic treatment and bold typography made the brand stand out on distributor shelves across Ohio and neighboring states.

Collector Variations

Breweriana collectors recognize several distinct variations of this can produced across different manufacturing runs:

• Tax and Legal Statements: Earlier iterations display the Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) notation, with some variants also including specific state-mandated alcohol disclosures, such as alcohol percentage ranges.
• Label Text Variations: While the primary design displays "Lager Beer" across the front, other runs omit the "Lager" designation entirely and read simply as "Beer".
• Can Profile: Slight changes occurred in the cone profile and neck geometry across production batches, including earlier bulb-top profiles.

Today, the Wooden Shoe Lager Beer cone top is a sought-after collectible, serving as a prominent showcase of mid-twentieth-century Ohio breweriana.