Beer: A Genuine Collection of Cans

by Dan Becker, Lance Wilson

Ever crack open a can of Chief Oshkosh of Wisconsin, or sample Pabst's Big Cat Malt Liquor? Remember the original St. Pauli Girl, Tennent's bevy of lager lovelies, or Olde Frothingslosh ("the pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom")? Presented alphabetically by brand, the nearly 500 cans collected here come from thirty countries and range from the iconic to the obscure to the downright bizarre. From long-forgotten brews to classic brands that have changed their look but never gone out of style, Beer offers a peek into the last century of beer culture, exploring what we drank, how we drank it, and why we picked it off the shelf. While it may not be as refreshing as a frosty cold can of Bud, cracking open this book is certain to stimulate beer lovers and design fans alike.

Genres: Beer, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously this book will only enthrall you so long as you are an avid fan of beer and/or can collecting. However, should the topic interest you, this is a well put together and designed book that has a very impressive array of cans. Plus, it's not just photos of the cans. Each can is labeled with the brewery and the time frame it was produced. Some beers get full-page displays where a short paragraph or two are devoted to that specific beer. The only reason I am docking a single star from this book is because I would have liked to see more information provided in the manner of these detailed pages. I understand that's not realistic for all of the beers, but there were a few beers in the book that I found very interesting and yet have really struggled to find much information on. This is most evident when the can is somewhat deteriorated due to age, making the actual name of the beer itself (as opposed to the brewery) hard to discern. Still, a great visual book with a few bits of much appreciated information as well. Definitely recommended.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was one of those kids in the '70s who collected beer cans and this was a very enjoyable book to read/look at-it doesn't contain much written content, but what there is was helpful and I learned a few things about my long time hobby. The photographs are great and plentiful. Unlike many of my collecting contemporaries, I saved mine, had them in storage for 26 years until I had room to display them which I'm so glad I did. My collection is like none other as it is filled with happy childhood memories. This book helped me to appreciate and maintain (clean) my collection. If you're a beer can collector or were, this quick read will be a pleasant one.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would get a 5 star rating for the lovely photos of beer cans, preserving historical images that are otherwise lost, as many of these beers are no longer made. However, it gets a 1 star rating for the text which is nearly non-existent. The book would be 5 stars all the way if the authors had spent some time researching these beers/breweries and giving some context/history about them. Instead you are treated to a book that is 95% pictures with an occasional 1-2 paragraph writeups about a few of the beers. However, I still recommend the book to those who love beer and brewing history as the photos themselves are like strolling through a museum.

[celestine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally just pictures of beer cans, mostly from the US; there’s only very basic descriptions of a few breweries. Some of the cans are interesting to look at, and this is better than the absurd amount of physical can collections you’ll find at any antique store. I was surprised to see a good fifth of the cans in this book from Cincinnati in its original beer heydays.

[Carl Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The excellent photography and clean presentation of an impressive collection of beer cans over the last hundred years or so is enjoyable. I would have liked a bit more context, as only a few cans/breweries have any text with them. A different organization system would have also improved the volume: sorting by brewery, region, era, or thematic content (eagles, horses, cars, etc.) would have made it feel more cohesive than just alphabetic by the name of the beer.

Of appeal to those interested in the graphic design of beer cans; admittedly, a niche audience but this volume will be quite appealing to that audience.

[Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining book and a quick read/perusal. I would have liked more info. on the various beers & breweries.

[Micah Siegmund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating collection of cans from the past 70 or so years, mostly from breweries that are no longer around. Provides some historical insights as well.

[Richard Gombert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to have many of these cans, when I was collecting back in the 70s.