Ballantine 40's '60 20th Reunion Can

Princeton Class of 1940 Reunion Mug

Produced by P. Ballantine & Sons of Newark, New Jersey, this 16-ounce straight steel can was issued for the Princeton University Class of 1940 during their 20th class reunion in 1960. Manufactured with a drinking mug top, it was engineered specifically for alumni to use as a handheld drinking vessel during campus festivities and tent gatherings before taking it home as a souvenir. The front display panel showcases an orange shield enclosing an illustration of a winged cartoon tiger—the Princeton mascot—wearing a party horn hat, clutching playing cards, and perched atop burning logs marked with the letters "Y" and "H". This design humorously depicts Princeton’s traditional campus bonfire celebrated after defeating athletic rivals Yale and Harvard. The artwork is framed with "LIFE 40" alongside the numeral motif and the year "1960" printed near the bottom base.

Ballantine maintained deep ties across mid-century American sporting culture and East Coast collegiate life. Known for its trademark three interlocking rings representing "Purity, Body, and Flavor," the brand was heavily promoted through television, print, and major sporting broadcasts—most famously with the New York Yankees, where home runs were celebrated on-air as "Ballantine Blasts." As national tastes shifted toward lighter mass-market lagers in the late 1960s and 1970s, the brand lost ground and eventually transitioned to outside ownership.

Peter Ballantine established his brewery in Newark in 1840, formally incorporating P. Ballantine & Sons in the mid-19th century. After weathering Prohibition through the production of non-alcoholic extracts and malt syrups, the company expanded rapidly in the postwar era, growing to become the third-largest brewery in the United States. Mounting competition and industry consolidation in the 1960s weakened its financial footing, leading to the sale of its labels to the Falstaff Brewing Corporation in 1972 and the eventual shuttering of the massive Newark plant.

Custom reunion cans hold a distinctive appeal among breweriana enthusiasts. Because these drinking mug cans were produced strictly for milestone Ivy League alumni weekends rather than commercial retail shelves, they sit at an engaging intersection between vintage beverage container history and collegiate memorabilia.