There are a number of good reference books on beer can collecting and on the history of brewing. Here is a list of recommended books. Next to each book I have the Amazon link if you want to go buy a copy. Yes, if you use the link I get a small cut from Amazon. I am hoping it'll help me pay my bandwidth bill!
Beer Cans Unlimited: Published in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Maverick Publishing in Missouri. An early attempt to give monetary values to beer cans. Its reference numbers are still commonly used to indicate a specific can. For example, BCU 32-2 would be the 2d can on page 32. It covers flats, cones and pull tabs as well as odd-sized cans. The first edition also covered some foreign cans.
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United States Beer Cans: a book published by the Beer Can Collectors of America in 2000. The USBC has photos of most of the known different beer can produced in the United States from 1935 until the mid 1960s. The USBC covers only flat tops, conetops, and gallon cans. It does not cover pull tabs. (Click on the photo to go to the BCCA page to order. I get no cut from this link, I'm just supporting the BCCA!) |
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United States Beer Cans: Vol II: a book published by the Beer Can Collectors of America in 2007. The USBC has photos of most of the known different beer can produced in the United States from 1963 until the late 1970s. The USBC II covers only tab tops, (Click on the photo to go to the BCCA page to order. I get no cut from this link either, I'm just supporting the BCCA!)
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The Beer Can Collector's Bible: by Jack Martells, 1976. The Bible has photos of both flattops and pull tabs from the United States. It does not list cans larger than 12 oz. It does not give values to cans but it does give reference numbers, indicates approximately when a can first appeared, and has lots of interesting information on dating cans, different types of cans, etc. Still useful for the novice collector! There is also a "Cone Top Collector's Bible" by Martells, which is not referenced as often and is difficult to find but very interesting.
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Beer Can Collecting: by Lew Cady, 1976 edition. A nice paperback about beer can collecting including a history of the BCCA. A very popular book when beer can collecting was at its height as a new fad in the mid and late 1970s. Full of great stories and photos.
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Beer Can Collecting: by Lew Cady, 1981 edition. An updated edition of his 1976 book. Has some new material and some corrections for the earlier version. Like his 1976 version, Cady's 1981 edition is full of great stories and photos.
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| Foreign Beer Cans: by Darrold Bussell, 1977. 118 pages, lots of B&W photos. Cans from outside of the US broken down by country. A nice guide to foreign cans, especially useful for 1970s sets. |
Brewing History
Here are some good books on brewing history.
| Gary and Gloria Meier. Brewed in the Pacific Northwest: A History of Beer Making in Oregon and Washington. (1991) | |
