1950s Pearl Beer Bottle Opener

This vintage “crown bottle key” or bottle cap opener was made by Vaughn Novelty Mfg. Co. in Chicago, Illinois between 1955-1962.
Vaughn’s catalog number for this model bottle opener was 190 and was sold to suppliers for advertising. They were special order and came in a box of 1000. The opener could bare an embossed name, slogan, or trademark. This opener was made for Texas beer legend Pearl Brewing Co. in San Antonio.

Condition is good with a few light rust spots.
Measures 3.5” long and 1.25” wide
Weighs 1 ounce

ABOUT PEARL BREWING CO.
The Pearl Brewing Company (also known as the Pearl Brewery or just Pearl) was an American brewery established in 1883 in downtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. Pearl Brewery was originally known as both the J. B. Behloradsky Brewery (1881-
1883) and the City Brewery.
The signature taste of Pearl beer was formulated and first brewed in Bremen, Germany, by the Kaiser–Beck Brewery, which produces Beck's beer. Pearl beer's name came from Kaiser–Beck's brewmaster, who thought the foamy bubbles in a freshly poured glass of the brew resembled sparkling pearls. In Germany, the brew was called "Perle." When brought to the United States, the spelling was changed to English: Pearl.
To market Pearl beer in Texas, the City Brewing Co became the San Antonio Brewing Association/Company and the newly renamed microbrewery released the first bottles and wooden kegs of American Pearl beer. Pearl beer officially rolled off the line and into local tap rooms of Texas in 1886.
During prohibition, the brewery stayed open by selling a “near beer “ simply called
“La Perla” and bottled sodas.
After prohibition and throughout the 1940s, The San Antonio Brewing Company was in a market share war with fellow Texas brewery Lone Star Brewing.
Production and market-wise, the 1950s were similar to the late 1940s. In the early '50s, the San Antonio Brewing Association felt they needed to increase the association of their number one product, Pearl lager beer, with the company itself. In marketing research, the association found that most consumers believed the San Antonio Brewing Association encompassed more than a single brewery; in fact, the public thought San Antonio Brewing Association referred to all brewing in San Antonio in general. Therefore, in 1952 the San Antonio Brewing Association changed its name to the Pearl Brewing Company . Pearl beer is still in production at Miller's Fort Worth, Texas, facility, but the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio was closed in
2001.

ABOUT VAUGHN NOVELTY MFG. CO
Vaughan Novelty Mfg. Co. originated in Chicago in 1910 as the Crown Throat & Opener Company, later changing its name to Vaughan Novelty Manufacturing Company.
Initially focused on openers and tools, its product line expanded significantly, particularly after the end of Prohibition in 1933 and with the invention of the first can piercer as the Vaughan company in 1935. The biggest area of invention from Vaughn was the “crown key” advertising lightweight gift openers that were first introduced by the Coca-Cola company in the late 1940s. Vaughn put a catalog of his bottle openers and received orders for millions of personalized crown openers. For several years, different types of bottle and can openers were the company’s primary products. With the bottle market switching to “twist caps” and drink manufacturers beginning to use more “pull tabs” with aluminum cans, Vaugh Company in Chicago was eventually absorbed into another entity, Vaughan & Bushnell. Once merged with Bushnell, the corporation relocated its headquarters to Hebron, Illinois in 1963 and continues to produce tools today…but not for advertising Pearl beer anymore:)

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