Many old beer labels are sought after by collectors. Do you know which ones they are?
There have recently been beer label reference books published.
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This site is dedicated entirely to old U.S. beer labels. It is the result of my 25+ years of collecting vintage beer labels. Whether you collect rare pre-Prohibition labels or are just looking for one of your dad's favorite beers, there's something here for you. Enjoy your visit !
The beer label collecting hobby has recently grown in popularity, and for good reason. There have been 1000's of breweries in the U.S since the 1870's and many of them produced bottled beer. The bottle labels they produced have been favorite souvenirs of collectors since the first breweries opened. Many of the labels collected over the years have survived in perfect condition and todays advanced collectors have renewed this great hobby.
The earliest beer labels were produced some time around the end of the Civil War (1870's). During this time the printing processes were rather simple, but each brewer wanted to distiguish his brand of beer from that of his competitors, thus the need for labels arose. Towards the end of the 1880's the stone lithography processes became more advanced and many label designs became quite elaborate. The pre-Prohibition labels from the 1880's to early 1900's are some of the rarest and most prized labels sought by collectors today.
When National Prohibiton took affect in 1920, many breweries went out of business for good. Those that tried to survive were forced to produce low alcohol beer and malt products. Some breweries sold anything to stay afloat including: soda, ice cream, malt, yeast and even chewing gum. The "beer" labels of the Prohibiton era were not allowed to reference the word "Beer" or anything similar (Ale, Lager, etc.), and all breweries were forced to rename themselves to remove the word "Brewing" and "Brewery". Although Prohibition lasted 13 years until 1933 there were a wide array of Prohibition labels produced.
Prohibition ended in 1933. The breweries that survived were eager for business. The labels produced during the mid-1930's until World War II were perhaps the the largest variety and most colorful beer labels ever to be produced in the United States.
Labels printed from 1933 to 1935 were required by the IRS to carry a Federal Permit number. The permit was state and brewery specific. The U-Permit label featured many intricate label designs and today's collectors highly value most U-Permit beer labels. All
U -Permit labels were also required to carry an IRTP statement.
The Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) labels were produced from 1933 to 1950. This was another statement required by the IRS. The end of the IRTP labels marked the end of a great era of graphic and diverse beer labels. By the 1950's National breweries began to take over the market and most small regional breweries went out of business for good.
Today many beer label collectors concentrate on pre-1960's labels. There are also collectors who specialize in microbrewery beer labels. Since the 1990's there has been an explosion of small microbreweries throught the U.S.. They produce craft beers with custom design labels for their unique brands. It seems the brewing industry and beer labels have come full circle from their beginning over 125 years ago.
