Watch CBS News

Bottoms Up! It's the Beer Can's 75th Birthday

Happy birthday, beer can!

KYW's Hadas Kuznits reports that the beer can turns 75-years-old.

Larry Handy chairman of the CANvention underway this weekend in Valley Forge, Pa. explains it's come a long way since it was first introduced in 1935:

"The beer can has evolved. The first cans were very heavy steel and the first beer can introduced was the flat top can similar to what we have now but of course with no self-opening on the top.  So you needed a can opener and the can opener was actually a new technology in 1935 so the earliest cans have opening instructions on the backs of the cans to show you how to use a can-opener."

He says branding was not as prominent back then:

"In the late 30's, since the can was new, a lot of the cans had the worlds beer or ale in very large letters on the can."

The CANvention runs though Saturday.

For more beer history, listen to the podcast in the player below.

Podcast

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.