The longer and more accurate title should be “stuff I didn’t know and am extremely grateful for.” Being from Richmond, that makes it interesting to me. Of course, you could be from anywhere and be interested in the GENIUS company that first thought of this idea. Billions of cans of beer later, people all over the world are still loving the idea.
1935: The first canned beer in the United States goes on sale in Richmond, Virginia. By the end of the year, 37 breweries follow the lead of the Gottfried Krueger Brewery.
The American Can Co. began experimenting with canned beer in 1909. But the cans couldn’t withstand the pressure from carbonation — up to 80 pounds per square inch — and exploded. Just before the end of the Prohibition in 1933, the company developed a “keg-lining” technique, coating the inside of the can the same as a keg.
Krueger had been brewing beer since the mid-1800s, but had suffered from the Prohibition and worker strikes. When American Can approached with the idea of canned beer, it was initially unpopular with Krueger execs. But American Can offered to install the equipment for free: If the beer flopped, Krueger wouldn’t have to pay.
So, in 1935 Krueger’s Cream Ale and Krueger’s Finest Beer were the first beers sold to the public in cans. Canned beer was an immediate success. The public loved it, giving it a 91 percent approval rating.
Only 91% approval? What were the 9% thinking? The picture is Gottfried Krueger’s mausoleum – a fitting resting place for the man responsible for canned beer.
Read the rest at Wired
