Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OLD STYLE PILSNER

Date Range From

1980

Date Range To

1990

Materials

ALUMINUM

No. Pieces

1

Height

12

Diameter

6

Description

OLD STYLE PILSNER BEER CAN. PULL TAB OPENING WITH EMBOSSED TEXT THAT READS "RETURN FOR REFUND", "1. LIFT 2. PUSH BACK". CAN DISPLAYS OLD STYLE LABEL WHICH INCLUDED BUNNIES, TRAIN, HOSE AND CARRIAGE. LABEL IS RD, GRN, WHT AND YLLW. LABEL READS "OLD STYLE PILSNER BEER", "SICKS' LETHBRIDGE BREWERY LIMITED, LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA". BOTTOM OF CAN IS STAMPED "H1484B 0377".

Subjects

FOOD SERVICE T&E

MERCHANDISING T&E

Historical Association

INDUSTRY

History

RICHARD BENEDICT MCCORMACK WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE PILSNER CAN. MCCORMACK PURCHASED THE CAN SOMETIME IN THE 80S OR 90S FROM THE SICK'S BREWERY IN LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. MCCORMACK WORKED FOR SICKS' BREWERY, AND AFTER IT WAS SOLD TO MOLSONS, FOR 44 YEARS. DURING WWII SICKS' BREWERY CONTINUED TO PAY HIS SALARY WHILE MCCORMACK WAS OVERSEAS. MCCORMACK SPENT HIS WORKING YEARS IN LETHBRIDGE AND CONTINUED TO RESIDE IN LETHBRIDGE UNTIL HIS DEATH ON MAY 24, 2007. HIS PARENTS MOVED TO CANADA FROM THE U.S.A., HIS MOTHER BEING FROM BAVARIA, GERMANY AND HIS FATHER FROM IRELAND, THEY MET IN THE U.S.A. OLD STYLE PILSNER WAS FIRST BREWED IN 1926 BY FRITZ SICKS AT THE SICKS' LETHBRIDGE BREWERY. THE BEER WAS AND STILL IS BREWED AFTER THE FAMOUS FORMULA OF THE HOUSE OF LETHBRIDGE, WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE TOP LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE LABEL. THE SICKS' BREWERIES LTD. GREW IN THE EARLY HALF OF THE CENTURY TO INCLUDE BREWERIES LOCATED THROUGHOUT WESTERN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. IN 1958, SICKS' BREWERIES LTD., ALONG WITH THE OLD STYLE PILSNER BRAND, WAS BOUGHT BY MOLSON INC. THE OLD STYLE PILSNER LABEL WAS CONCEIVED BY FRITZ SICKS' DAUGHTER, LOUISE BLAIR (NEE SICK). THE LABEL WAS DESIGNED TO FEATURE OBJECTS SYMBOLIC TO THE BREWERY AND THE WEST: THE CONCORD STAGECOACH, THE PURPLE LABEL AIRPLANE, TRAINS (TRANSPORTATION), NATIVE LIFE, MONKS BREWING BEER, AND THE HOUSE OF LETHBRIDGE. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BEERS PRODUCED BY SICKS' BREWERIES. OLD STYLE PILSNER WAS TOUTED IN 1926 AS THE “PRE-WAR BEER – ANOTHER LETHBRIDGE TRIUMPH”. THE ADVERTISING CLAIMED THAT PREVIOUS TO WORLD WAR I THE MOST CELEBRATED AND FASTEST SELLING BEERS WERE MADE WITH A RICE BASE. SINCE THAT TIME, EITHER FROM LACK OF EXPERIENCE OR INDIFFERENCE, VERY FEW BREWERS HAD ATTEMPTED MAKING BEER IN THIS MANNER. HOWEVER, THE PROGRESSIVE HOUSE OF LETHBRIDGE HAD PERFECTED A BREW WITH A RICE BASE -- THEY CALLED IT OLD STYLE PILSNER.

Catalogue Number

P20050007000

Acquisition Date

2004-01

Collection

Museum

Less detail