Canned beer made its debut on January 24, 1935. In partnership
with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger’s Finest Beer and
Krueger’s Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond,
Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved of the
canned beer, driving Krueger to give the green light to further production.

The purchase of cans, unlike bottles, did not require the consumer
to pay a deposit. Cans were also easier to stack, more durable
and took less time to chill. As a result, their popularity continued
to grow throughout the 1930s, and then exploded during World
War II, when U.S. brewers shipped millions of cans of beer to
soldiers overseas.