United States
The crown cap is patented
William Painter’s crown cork gave bottled beer a cheap, reliable, gas-tight seal, and is why beer bottles need no cork.
1892-02-02
Why it matters
Made bottled beer a mass product, and is the reason beer is stored upright while wine is laid down.
How well this is established
| Certainty | Documented. Supported by contemporary records that survive and are agreed on. |
|---|---|
| When | 1892-02-02. |
| Where | United States |
Either side of this
← 1883: Hansen isolates a pure yeast culture at Carlsberg · 1894: Munich answers Bohemian pale lager with Helles →
See the whole sequence on the beer history timeline.
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.