All Star Premium Beer Flat Top Can

All Star Premium Beer Can History

The All Star Premium Beer flat top represents a celebrated piece of Chicago brewing and early metal container history. Produced for the Manhattan Brewing Company of Chicago, Illinois, in collaboration with the American Can Company, this label is admired among breweriana collectors for its striking star-centric graphic design and rich manufacturing lore.

Manhattan Brewing Company had a storied history in Chicago, including pre- and post-Prohibition associations with prominent local figures before expanding into one of the nation's leading canned beer producers. Partnering with the American Can Company to utilize their proprietary "Keglined" process, the brewery distributed an extensive portfolio of canned brands, with All Star Premium standing out as a distinctive offering.

A fascinating aspect of this can's legacy lies in the manufacturing folklore tied to its production. Lore surrounding Chicago-area canning operations recounts how line trials, quality-control test runs, and sample cans from the nearby American Can Company plant made their way into neighborhood taverns, allowing experimental runs and non-mandatory proof cans to be preserved by collectors.

Collectors document variations across the All Star label. These differences appear primarily in the side-panel text phrasing, including shifts between "Packed Expressly For" and "Brewed and Canned By," differing patent notices, and examples omitting mandatory statutory markings entirely. With its bold design and deep connection to Chicago's industrial packaging heritage, this can remains an enduring favorite in breweriana collecting.