Aone (carling's) Beer Flat Top Can

Phoenix's A-1 Beer by Carling

The A-1 (often styled as A-One) brand holds a storied place in Southwestern brewing lore. Originally introduced by the Arizona Brewing Company, A-1 grew to become the dominant local brew throughout the mid-20th century. In the mid-1960s, Canadian brewing giant Carling acquired the long-running facility on South 12th Street in Phoenix, taking over production of the regional staple and putting the Carling name on Phoenix-canned A-1 packaging.

The brewery itself was an integral landmark in downtown Phoenix, where local workers famously used the plant's scheduled steam whistles to check the time of day. Long promoted under memorable slogans like "The Western Way to Say Welcome" and "Judged the Finest," the A-1 label carried substantial regional pride. The brand gained widespread cultural fame across the American West through promotional artwork commissioned from famed cowboy artist Alonzo "Lon" Megargee, whose painting Cowboy's Dream became a fixture in bunkhouses, saloons, and restaurants across the state.

The can design reflects this heritage, featuring the prominent A-1 branding alongside mandatory Carling Brewing Company text designating the Phoenix, Arizona plant. Subtle variations exist across production runs, featuring minor differences in mandatory phrasing, copyright notices, and graphic details around the primary emblems. Representing the pivotal transition period when Arizona's flagship regional brand came under national brewing management, this can is a prized chapter in Arizona's industrial and breweriana history.