The can, a universally accepted container for many foods, came tip-toeing into the market place as a substitute for the bottling of beer.

  Technicians at the American Can Company, even before prohibition, began toying with the idea of putting beer in a can. As early as 1929, Anheuser-Busch and Pabst experimented with the canning process. Schlitz even proposed a can design that looked like a small barrel.  

  The major problem the early researchers were confronted with, however, was not strength, but the can's liner. Several years and most of the early research funds were spent to solve this perplexing problem. Beer has a strong affinity for metal, causing precipitated salts and a foul taste. The brewers called the condition "metal turbidity".

  The American Can Company produced the flat or punch top can in 1934. The lining was made from a Union Carbide product called "Vinylite", a plastic product which was trademarked "keglined" on September 25, 1934.

  Unlike the bottle, the can could be made in many shapes and designs, and the brewers liked the ability to use the whole can's surface to promote brand recognition.

  While the punch top can lent itself to rapid filling, the equipment required was expensive. The Continental Can Company recognizing this limitation to the punch top can developed a new shape they called a "cap sealed" or cone top can. This new can, similar in shape to a bottle, could be used with existing bottle filling lines.

  The next design by Continental was still low profile, but had raised ribs on the spout and a concave bottom to better resist the pressure from the product. The Clicquot Club and the Dari-Seltz brands are examples of this design.