Black And White Lager Beer Flat Top Can

Black & White Lager Beer Flat Top

Dating from the mid-1950s, this 12-ounce flat top represents a striking example of graphic mid-century can art from Southern California. The steel container showcases a sharply divided split-face aesthetic, bisected vertically down the center into stark black and off-white halves. Inverting its contrast across the divide, the bold "Black & White" title sits atop a stylized gold shield insignia enclosing an interlaced "ABC" monogram. Beneath this crest, a golden barley-wreath medallion frames the proclamation of "Fully Aged LAGER BEER," while the bottom mandatory text confirms the origins of A.B.C. Brewing Co. in Los Angeles, California.

The Black & White label originated in Northern California following the repeal of Prohibition, initially produced during the 1930s by the Saint Claire Brewing Company of San Jose before the brand rights transitioned south to Los Angeles. Marketed as an approachable, fully matured lager, the beer relied on its straightforward two-toned visual identity to stand out on grocery store shelves against competing regional offerings. Sold primarily throughout the California market as an economical staple, the label enjoyed steady local distribution before being phased out in the late 1950s amid intense competition from expanding national shipping brewers.

The manufacturer listed on the can, A.B.C. Brewing Co., served as an operational alias used by the Maier Brewing Company during the 1950s. Tracing its roots back to the 1870s Philadelphia Brewery, the firm operated out of its historic complex on Commercial Street near downtown Los Angeles. Having survived Prohibition through the sale of near-beer and legal beverage substitutes, Maier rebounded to become a prominent regional force in the post-World War II period, famously churning out Brew 102 alongside several contract and proprietary labels. Beer magnate Paul Kalmanovitz acquired the brewery in 1958, and brewing operations at the central Los Angeles facility eventually concluded in the early 1970s.

Among breweriana enthusiasts, West Coast flat tops produced under Maier’s assorted brewery aliases remain popular targets. The dramatic split-panel graphic treatment makes this can an eye-catching display piece that epitomizes the bold, high-contrast packaging trends of the 1950s American canning boom.