Rheingold Extra Dry Lager Beer Metal Bar Tray

NORTHEAST. 
Breweriana, Bar Tray, Barware, c. 1950s. 

New York beer drinkers made Rheingold “Extra Dry” the most popular lager beer in the Empire State from the post-WWII years through into the 1960s, and this despite significant competition from other local favorites: Ballantine, J. Rupert’s Knickerbocker, and Krueger of Newark, New Jersey. It all started with Samuel Liebmann, a 19th century German immigrant who set up shop in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn following the Civil War. He soon after turned over operations to his sons. S. Leibmann’s Sons Brewery would be the name synonymous with the brand, the first “Rheingold” lagers appearing in the 1880s. The name has been attributed to the Rhine River region from where their father had originated, with another more interesting tale stating it was awarded during a toast by the head of the Metropolitan Opera, who claimed it the color ”Rhein”—a legendary ring made of gold from the same Rhine region. By the 1910s, the brewery had absorbed multiple Brooklyn competitors and was among the largest brewery productions on the east coast. Navigating Prohibition by selling tonics, “near beer,” and even lemonade, the brewery came out of that period with giant expectations. Attempts to spread the brand nationwide were mixed, despite Rheingold advertising being everywhere, with the annual “Miss Rheingold” competition (beginning in 1940) a central piece of the strategy. For a brief time in the early 1950s, S. Liebmann’s Sons held the title of largest American brewing operation, the brand’s advertising connection to baseball (and especially the New York Mets in the 1960s) ubiquitous across the middle decades of the 20th century. But fierce competition and the local loyalties of regional beer drinkers the nation over, soon saw the brand retracting back mostly into the Northeast. Rheingold would continue through the 1960s before being bought out in the 1970s. Licensing deals through C. Schmidt’s of Philadelphia and then G. Heileman’s of Wisconsin would keep the brand—if not the Liebmann brewing legacy—on store shelves through the 20th century … This metal serving tray likely dates to the brand’s high-point of popularity in the 1950s, and yet could be mistaken for having been produced a few years ago. In tremendous shape, it bears the original American Can “CANCO” mark, the company synonymous with outstanding mass-produced metal manufacturing especially during the steel can era. 

Condition: Used Very Good. 
Food / Beverage Related. 
12" diameter x 1" deep / 13 oz