ABC Premium Ale 12 Oz Tab Top Can

ABC Premium Ale Tab Top Can

This 12-ounce straight steel tab top can showcases the classic mid-century presentation of ABC Premium Ale. The container features the mandatory attribution line across the lower white border stating "BREWED AND PACKED BY GOLD BRAU BREWING CO., CHICAGO, ILL." Prominently displayed beneath the bold white block lettering of the brand name is an angled rectangular placard highlighting the slogan "PROPERLY AGED IN THE BREWERY CELLARS." The layout reflects the transition into the pull-tab era while maintaining the stark two-tone color blocking typical of earlier flat top designs.

The ABC brand, which encompassed both lager and ale offerings, was marketed as an approachable yet well-crafted line tailored for retail and tavern distribution across the Midwest. Marketing for the ale emphasized cellar aging to distinguish it from standard mass-market offerings. As consumer preferences shifted and regional markets adapted to changing wholesale structures, the ABC label provided an affordable, accessible option for consumers seeking traditional malt beverages.

Gold Brau Brewing Company operated out of Chicago, Illinois, functioning as a proprietary branch and trade name for the Canadian Ace Brewing Company located at 3901 South Emerald Avenue. Canadian Ace—which traced its roots back to the historic Manhattan Brewing Company—survived Prohibition by producing near beer and malt products before resuming full-scale brewing following Repeal. In the postwar decades, the plant relied heavily on creating diverse corporate subsidiaries and alternate trade imprints like Gold Brau to pack store brands, private labels, and contract beverages for regional distributors. Intensifying competition and industry consolidation ultimately forced the Emerald Avenue operation to cease production in the late 1960s.

For breweriana collectors, cans produced under Chicago's Canadian Ace umbrella offer an intriguing look into mid-century contract brewing history. Because ales typically accounted for a far smaller share of Midwestern production volume than standard lagers, examples bearing regional ale designations remain especially engaging artifacts of the city's rich industrial brewing heritage.