Ballantine's Xxx Ale Flat Top Can

Ballantine's XXX Ale Flat Top

Produced by P. Ballantine & Sons in Newark, New Jersey, the Ballantine's XXX Ale flat top can is one of the most recognizable graphic icons in American breweriana. Featuring the brewery's trademark three interlocking Borromean rings—representing "Purity, Body, Flavor"—and its distinctive metallic copper-gold lithography, the can stands out prominently in breweriana collections.

This particular can holds a notable place in twentieth-century modern art history. In 1960, artist Jasper Johns chose the Ballantine XXX Ale can as the subject for his seminal sculpture Painted Bronze. The artwork was famously created after painter Willem de Kooning joked that art dealer Leo Castelli was skilled enough that he could sell two beer cans. Johns responded by casting two Ballantine Ale cans in bronze and hand-painting their labels, forever cementing the Newark container into the history of Pop Art.

For collectors, the Ballantine XXX Ale flat top offers an engaging variety of production differences. Collectors catalog multiple variations across different canning runs, distinguishing examples by changes in trademark text, background copper hues, canning manufacturer codes, mandatory "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" (IRTP) designations, and opening instruction panels along the side seam. The extensive distribution of Ballantine also resulted in regional tax stampings and state-specific mandatory text, making the pursuit of these variants a staple among breweriana historians.