Black Eagle Beer Flat Top Can

Manhattan Black Eagle Flat Top

The Black Eagle Beer flat top can is an intriguing artifact produced by Chicago's historic Manhattan Brewing Company.

Brewery History and Mob Connections

Manhattan Brewing Company holds a legendary place in brewing history due to its deep ties to organized crime. Originally established in Chicago's South Side, the brewery was acquired and controlled during and after Prohibition by figures connected to Chicago syndicates, including associates of Al Capone and Frank Nitti. Following Repeal, Manhattan quickly modernized by adopting the American Can Company’s "Keglined" canning technology, becoming a major regional and national canning powerhouse.

Label History and Regulatory Scrutiny

The Black Eagle brand is notable among breweriana historians for its connection to Manhattan’s complex contract packing and phantom labeling arrangements. The label design shares a direct relationship with containers filled for The Class & Nachod Brewing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Manhattan frequently canned beer for other entities or distributed brands under various regional identities, a practice that eventually caught the attention of federal regulators investigating deceptive origin labeling.

Labeling and Variations

Manufactured as a steel container by the American Can Company, the Black Eagle can features instructional text panels on the reverse alongside patent markings. Graphic variations exist among surviving examples, reflecting changes in corporate attribution, text layout, and brewery listings—including versions that name Manhattan Brewing Company directly versus those linked to Class & Nachod.

Because of its association with pre-war Chicago brewing and its low survival rate, the Black Eagle flat top remains a celebrated piece of industrial and brewing memorabilia.