Who can lay claim to the first "six-pack" National Brewing Co says they can....

[keithker]

The topic of "who can lay claim to being the first with the six-pack for beer?" has always been one of those topics. National Brewing Company in Baltimore MD has always been one to lay claim. I wasn't sure what might help confirm those details. This however I think gives some credence to that claim....

This ad came from The_Evening_Sun_Tue__Feb_27__1934 newspaper......

I think it helps with that thought of "who was the first with a six-pack?"

Any other findings that can refute??

[Randy Karasek]

That is a cool picture Keith, wonder if anyone has example of that box in their collection. My guess there are some good colors and really stands out.

Terrible wording though in the ad. Why would anyone split "National" with a hyphen across two lines. Would have looked much better to say "Thrifty-Six pack of National" on that line, not "Thritfy-Six package of Nation"

[MI-Cans]

Can't beat your date but the six pack containers were in use during Prohibition and maybe even before? Haven't checked prior to 1920.

(MI-Cans)

Click to enlarge.

1930-07-01 GREAT FALLS, MT

1930-07-25 WATERLOO, IA

1935-06-11 PROVO, UT

1936-06-25 ST LOUIS, MO
Now here's a deal! 12 bottles and a cooler/ice chest for $2.98!!

1938-09-01 ROCK ISLAND, IL

[renokenn]

Wouldn't mind having that 6 pack cooler

[Cap-Sealed]

Who was the first to do it in CANS? I know Pabst BR Exports came in a 12 pack cardboard box.... but that was a 12-pack.

I love this 1940 Alt Heidelberg "12-can Sportspack" with Opener! I doubt any survived...

[kb]

Who was the first to do it in CANS? I know Pabst BR Exports came in a 12 pack cardboard box.... but that was a 12-pack.

15894264_1084083461718936_1493160337436289056_n.jpg

I love this 1940 Alt Heidelberg "12-can Sportspack" with Opener! I doubt any survived...

That is an awesome pic !


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[MI-Cans]

@keithker

Prohibition lasted from January 17, 1920 until December 5, 1933.

I assume that any reference to beer during those years is talking about 3.2 ABV or less. There are numerous articles/ads pre-1934 that mention 6 pack cartons, carriers, containers, whatever.

This first article from March of 1933 mentions a proposal that would allow the sale of beer in cartons for consumption off premises. I believe the end of the article mentions the now well known, Pennsylvania keystone Tax Stamp found on every alcohol product made for sale or imported for sale in their state.

Article from 1933-03-24 HARRISBURG, PA

Then there’s two articles from April of 1933 that mention manufacturers in different states ramping up to handle the increased demand for the cardboard containers.

Article from 1933-04-09 SANDUSKY, OH

Article from 1933-04-18 ST JOSEPH, MO

Here’s an ad from May of 1933, that actually calls out a “carton” of six PBR’s.

Ad from 1933-05-27 PENSACOLA, FL

Now, jumping to 1936, this add mentions bottle beer as well as canned beer with the assumption, they are available in cartons.

Ad from1936-01-10 EL PASO, TX

My thinking is that six pack “cartons” were available both during and after the prohibition years. The National ad in the first post is obviously for bottles. With factories already producing cartons for bottles, the advent of cans probably just forced some re-tooling to accommodate those new product(s).

I think that the question “WHO PRODUCED THE FIRST SIX PACK CAN CARTON/CARRIER” might never find an accurate answer.

(MI-Cans)

Edited to add this image from 1937 in Baltimore:

[stringsx24now]

The grocery ad in the previous post I found interesting for the food offered and prices almost as interesting as the beer information.
8 lb bucket of lard! Can one even find that today?
Or some lunch tongue anyone?

[MI-Cans]

@stringsx24now

You can find almost anything on the Internet. But it will cost more than the above ad!

That's only a 8,089% mark up from 1933 for 1 pound less.

(MI-Cans)

Click to enlarge.

[MI-Cans]

@keithker
Oldest one I could find with image from July 10th of 1936 in Kansas City, MO. If can and carton are proportioned correctly, it looks like three cans on top of three cans. Carton would be 3 cans wide, 2 cans high and 1 can deep.

(MI-Cans)

Click to enlarge.

Almost forgot this one from the RB Newspaper Archive.
May 5, 1950 LaCrosse, WI

[Tinman]

Cardboard cartons have always intrigued me, I checked my 1927 Liquor Control Board of Ontario (issued at the end of prohibition) and six pack cartons were available for in store pick up only,

My earliest cardboard carton is this Canada Bud six pack from 1936,

The stamp on the bottom is from the previously mentioned Hinde and Dauch which operated here in Toronto from 1910 till around 1966 when control was taken over by Domtar.

An opener was included in the carton and bottles has a sleeve that fit over each one.

The crowns were missing from the carton when I acquired it.
STAY SAFE!

[MI-Cans]

@keithker
The earliest mention of a can container (6, 12 or 24) that I could dig up is December of 1935. It's actually an article that tells of Heileman's Old Style Lager and their marketing plans for the upcoming Holiday season and it was for a 12 can sized carton. No image of carton.

Found more examples in later years with carton images. (Including those for images of their cartons.)

(MI-Cans)

Click to enlarge.

1935-12-21 MADISON, WI

1936-12-15 FREMONT, OH

1937-08-17 BROOKLYN, NY (THIS WAS A 10 PACK)

1938-12-15 BAKERSFIELD, CA

1938-12-23 CHICAGO, IL

1939-12-12 PITTSBURGH, PA

1939-12-18 EL PASO, TX

1940-02-05 MIAMI, FL (No image but does call out a 6 can carton)

1940-08-02 SPOKANE, WA

1940-12-05 EL RENO, OK

1941-11-16 MIAMI, FL

1949-07-27 CHICAGO, IL

[keithker]

@MI-Cans Mine at the top is 1934 so might have to agree with National Brewing's claim to be the first for beer in a "6-pack"

[Pokey]

@keithker
Oldest one I could find with image from July 10th of 1936 in Kansas City, MO. If can and carton are proportioned correctly, it looks like three cans on top of three cans. Carton would be 3 cans wide, 2 cans high and 1 can deep.

I don't have the one pictured with the picnic scene, but Pabst made a couple of versions. As you can see the can is not one of the earliest Pabst OIs, so this is probably for the mid to late 30's. I can take some close ups of it when I get home.

[Pokey]

These are not mine, I found these photos on the Google. Here is the picnic scene and the fishing scene. As you can see on the side shot of the fishing scene, it has the older can without the ribbon around the circle in the middle. Making this a bit older than the one with the cans falling out that is pictured in my collection above.

pabst-export-beer-original-1930s-six-pack-box_1_ea8688cef584c642c226366687a4d9d4.jpg (32.79 KiB) Viewed 1981 times

pabst-export-beer-original-1930s-six-pack-box_1_ea8688cef584c642c226366687a4d9d4 (2).jpg (28.83 KiB) Viewed 1981 times

pabst-export-beer-original-1930s-six-pack-box_1_ea8688cef584c642c226366687a4d9d4 (1).jpg (18.77 KiB) Viewed 1981 times

[Pokey]

Here are the close ups. The front is identical to the back and the sides are identical to each other. Sadly there is no "small print" that would help date this. However, the cans, according to Kevin Lilek's OI book, put this in the 647-653 range, or Mid-1936 to Circa 1938 based on the ribbon around the circle and before the addition of "Blue Ribbon" to the face in late 1938.