Blackhawk Old Lager Beer Cone Top Can

Davenport's Blackhawk Old Lager

Produced around the late 1940s to early 1950s, this 12-ounce cone top container was manufactured by the Continental Can Company for the Blackhawk Brewing Company of Davenport, Iowa. Lithographed against a metallic gold backdrop, the label is centered around a prominent red shield displaying the brand script and the phrase "OLD FASHIONED FLAVOR". Perched directly above the shield is a distinctive circular cameo featuring a profile silhouette of Chief Black Hawk adorned with a feather. Notably, this specific catalog variation is distinguished by having no alcohol statement, whereas other releases distributed across regional markets carried mandatory tax or percentage disclosures.

The Old Lager brand leaned heavily into Quad Cities regional identity and traditional brewing nostalgia. Borrowing its moniker and imagery from Sauk leader Black Hawk—a celebrated historical figure throughout the upper Mississippi River valley—the label promised an authentic, hearty brew. Marketed on its heritage and classic recipe with the slogan highlighting its old-fashioned taste, Old Lager stood alongside Blackhawk Pilsener and Blackhawk Topping Beer in tavern taps and package stores across Iowa and western Illinois before disappearing during mid-1950s ownership changes.

The can originated from one of Davenport’s most storied brewing facilities at West 3rd and Davie Streets. Tracing its lineage back to the Independent Malting Company, the complex survived the dry years of Prohibition before re-emerging in 1935 under the direction of the Zoller brothers as the Zoller Brewing Company. In 1944, the operation was reorganized and rechristened the Blackhawk Brewing Company. Operating through the postwar brewing boom, Blackhawk faced increasing headwinds from larger national shipping breweries. In 1952, the operation entered bankruptcy court and was purchased by local executive Albert E. Uchtorff, operating as the Uchtorff Brewing Company until closing permanently in 1956.

Cone top cans from Iowa are central to Midwestern breweriana collections, representing a vibrant chapter of independent packaging prior to nationwide industry consolidation. The can's striking silhouette emblem, rich typography, and gleaming metallic finish make Blackhawk Old Lager a prized showpiece among cone top enthusiasts.