Okla-homey
1/24/2008, 07:28 AM
no, not a description of a Green Day concert
January 24, 1935: First canned beer goes on sale
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/40126/2002044377409747197_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002044377409747197)
73 years ago today, canned beer makes its debut in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production.
http://aycu06.webshots.com/image/40685/2002068292580046826_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002068292580046826)
By the late 19th century, cans were instrumental in the mass distribution of foodstuffs, but it wasn't until 1909 that the American Can Company made its first attempt to can beer. This was unsuccessful, and the American Can Company would have to wait for the end of Prohibition in the United States before it tried again. Finally in 1933, after two years of research, American Can developed a can that was pressurized and had a special coating to prevent the fizzy beer from chemically reacting with the tin.
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/40931/2002046875199478044_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002046875199478044)
The concept of canned beer proved to be a hard sell, but Krueger's overcame its initial reservations and became the first brewer to sell canned beer in the United States. The response was overwhelming. Within three months, over 80 percent of distributors were handling Krueger's canned beer, and Krueger's was eating into the market share of the "big three" national brewers--Anheuser-Busch, Pabst and Schlitz. Competitors soon followed suit, and by the end of 1935, over 200 million cans had been produced and sold.
The purchase of cans, unlike bottles, did not require the consumer to pay a deposit. Cans were also easier to stack, more durable and took less time to chill. As a result, their popularity continued to grow throughout the 1930s, and then exploded during World War II, when U.S. brewers shipped millions of cans of beer to soldiers overseas.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/40201/2004296396874513908_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004296396874513908)
Canned beer shipped to troops overseas in WWII was packaged in special "camoflaged" cans.
After the war, national brewing companies began to take advantage of the mass distribution that cans made possible, and were able to consolidate their power over the once-dominant local breweries, which could not control costs and operations as efficiently as their national counterparts.
These early beer cans did not have the familiar "tab" opening system present on modern cans of beer and soda. Instead, some had screw tops, but most required the consumer to employ the use of an opener tool that pierced the top of the can.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/40926/2002044516315051093_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002044516315051093)
Churchkeys. Sometimes brewers distributed them. There may be an old Coors churchkey in one of your junk drawers.
Satirically, these openers were often called called "church keys" by users. For several years, cans showed a picture of an opener on the side panel and instructions on how to use it. Can collectors call these cans “instructionals” or "OI cans".
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/42986/2002076447044215276_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002076447044215276)
Instructional can. Yes, it was necessary because some people tried to use an ordinary can opener when opening cans of beer
The "pop top" system of opening that did not require use of a tool was first intoduced in the 1960s. Those early tabs on both beer and soda cans separated completely from the can and were usually dropped where the beer was opened.
http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/41543/2002044445707789502_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002044445707789502)
http://aycu39.webshots.com/image/41358/2002046740523188598_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002046740523188598)
Various pop top systems
http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/41938/2002099503342478905_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002099503342478905)
Millions of old pop tops are still out there.
This created a litter problem, as well as a potential hazard because the dropped tab was basically a curled sliver of metal that could cut bare feet. Think of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville lyric:
I blew out my flip flop,
Stepped on a pop top,
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.
But there's booze in the blender,
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on.
This hazard prompted many canned beer and pop drinkers to begin to open the product, then drop the separated tab inside the can before drinking. This however, was deemed "unsanitary" by some. Eventually, the tabs were redesigned to the now familiar system that remains attached to the can.
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/40640/2002032580916176837_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002032580916176837)
Today, canned beer accounts for approximately half of the $20 billion U.S. beer industry. Not all of this comes from the big national brewers: Recently, there has been renewed interest in canning from microbrewers and high-end beer-sellers, who are realizing that cans guarantee purity and taste by preventing light damage and oxidation.
There are purists who insist cans impart a metal-ly taste to beer. They prefer glass bottles. I say, just pour the canned beer into a glass there Poindexter. Anyway, even the SO's most distinguished beer consumer now drinks beer out of cans.
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/41866/2002036615614022983_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002036615614022983)
From Olevet's baby book. After he discovered canned beer in kindergarten, he never went back to bottles.
http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/38752/2003281505657063419_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003281505657063419)
January 24, 1935: First canned beer goes on sale
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/40126/2002044377409747197_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002044377409747197)
73 years ago today, canned beer makes its debut in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production.
http://aycu06.webshots.com/image/40685/2002068292580046826_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002068292580046826)
By the late 19th century, cans were instrumental in the mass distribution of foodstuffs, but it wasn't until 1909 that the American Can Company made its first attempt to can beer. This was unsuccessful, and the American Can Company would have to wait for the end of Prohibition in the United States before it tried again. Finally in 1933, after two years of research, American Can developed a can that was pressurized and had a special coating to prevent the fizzy beer from chemically reacting with the tin.
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/40931/2002046875199478044_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002046875199478044)
The concept of canned beer proved to be a hard sell, but Krueger's overcame its initial reservations and became the first brewer to sell canned beer in the United States. The response was overwhelming. Within three months, over 80 percent of distributors were handling Krueger's canned beer, and Krueger's was eating into the market share of the "big three" national brewers--Anheuser-Busch, Pabst and Schlitz. Competitors soon followed suit, and by the end of 1935, over 200 million cans had been produced and sold.
The purchase of cans, unlike bottles, did not require the consumer to pay a deposit. Cans were also easier to stack, more durable and took less time to chill. As a result, their popularity continued to grow throughout the 1930s, and then exploded during World War II, when U.S. brewers shipped millions of cans of beer to soldiers overseas.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/40201/2004296396874513908_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004296396874513908)
Canned beer shipped to troops overseas in WWII was packaged in special "camoflaged" cans.
After the war, national brewing companies began to take advantage of the mass distribution that cans made possible, and were able to consolidate their power over the once-dominant local breweries, which could not control costs and operations as efficiently as their national counterparts.
These early beer cans did not have the familiar "tab" opening system present on modern cans of beer and soda. Instead, some had screw tops, but most required the consumer to employ the use of an opener tool that pierced the top of the can.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/40926/2002044516315051093_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002044516315051093)
Churchkeys. Sometimes brewers distributed them. There may be an old Coors churchkey in one of your junk drawers.
Satirically, these openers were often called called "church keys" by users. For several years, cans showed a picture of an opener on the side panel and instructions on how to use it. Can collectors call these cans “instructionals” or "OI cans".
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/42986/2002076447044215276_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002076447044215276)
Instructional can. Yes, it was necessary because some people tried to use an ordinary can opener when opening cans of beer
The "pop top" system of opening that did not require use of a tool was first intoduced in the 1960s. Those early tabs on both beer and soda cans separated completely from the can and were usually dropped where the beer was opened.
http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/41543/2002044445707789502_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002044445707789502)
http://aycu39.webshots.com/image/41358/2002046740523188598_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002046740523188598)
Various pop top systems
http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/41938/2002099503342478905_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002099503342478905)
Millions of old pop tops are still out there.
This created a litter problem, as well as a potential hazard because the dropped tab was basically a curled sliver of metal that could cut bare feet. Think of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville lyric:
I blew out my flip flop,
Stepped on a pop top,
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home.
But there's booze in the blender,
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on.
This hazard prompted many canned beer and pop drinkers to begin to open the product, then drop the separated tab inside the can before drinking. This however, was deemed "unsanitary" by some. Eventually, the tabs were redesigned to the now familiar system that remains attached to the can.
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/40640/2002032580916176837_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002032580916176837)
Today, canned beer accounts for approximately half of the $20 billion U.S. beer industry. Not all of this comes from the big national brewers: Recently, there has been renewed interest in canning from microbrewers and high-end beer-sellers, who are realizing that cans guarantee purity and taste by preventing light damage and oxidation.
There are purists who insist cans impart a metal-ly taste to beer. They prefer glass bottles. I say, just pour the canned beer into a glass there Poindexter. Anyway, even the SO's most distinguished beer consumer now drinks beer out of cans.
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/41866/2002036615614022983_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002036615614022983)
From Olevet's baby book. After he discovered canned beer in kindergarten, he never went back to bottles.
http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/38752/2003281505657063419_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003281505657063419)