Ballantine 125th Anniversary Beer Flat Top Can

Ballantine 125th Anniversary Beer

Issued in 1965 to commemorate the founding of the brewery in 1840, the Ballantine 125th Anniversary Beer flat top can marks a historic milestone for P. Ballantine & Sons of Newark, New Jersey. Founded by Scottish immigrant Peter Ballantine, the company grew through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to become one of the largest brewing powerhouses in the United States.

The label art incorporates the brewery's famous three-ring Borromean emblem—representing "Purity, Body, Flavor"—framed alongside commemorative banner graphics celebrating 125 years of brewing heritage. Produced during a transitional era in can manufacturing, this anniversary release appeared in both the flat top format and emerging tab top styles.

For breweriana collectors, the can features the brand's classic metallic gold and copper palette paired with mid-century typography. Known variations exist across the production run, featuring subtle differences in canning facility marks and manufacturer stamps from the American Can Company, including versions produced at their Hillside, New Jersey plant.

Released just years before the historic Newark brewery ceased local operations in the early 1970s, this commemorative flat top represents one of the final major milestone cans issued from Ballantine's original home base.