Canadian Ace Premium Draft 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

Canadian Ace Premium Real Draft Can

Produced during the mid-1960s pull-tab era, this 12-ounce straight steel can showcases Canadian Ace's "Real Draft" presentation. The label combines a printed wood-grain background with an ornate, foliage-fringed cartouche highlighted with enamel silver accents. Noteworthy label text includes the lower ribbon declaring the brew "Pasteurized to Protect Flavor," an arched header heralding "Real Draft," and a diagonal red slash across the bottom right reading "Made in U.S.A."—a deliberate statement countering any notion that the beer was an import. In collector reference literature, the tab top variation is the documented example, while the zip top version remains undocumented.

Canadian Ace originated as a prominent brand under Chicago's Manhattan Brewing Company prior to World War II. Marketed as an upscale lager, it was positioned as a premium product crafted to compete against encroaching regional and national powerhouses. Over the years, advertising campaigns highlighted draft flavor and used slogans like "It's in the Bag". The use of the name "Canadian" had previously prompted scrutiny from federal trade regulators over geographic labeling claims, making the explicit "Made in U.S.A." declaration an important marketing safeguard. Following the closure of the Chicago plant, rights to the label shifted through other regional contract brewers before the brand finally disappeared.

Behind this can stands one of the most colorful brewing outfits in American history. Founded in 1893 on Emerald Avenue on Chicago's South Side as the Manhattan Brewing Company, the operation was acquired in 1919 by mobster Johnny Torrio and brewing magnate Joseph Stenson. Throughout Prohibition, the brewery was operated by syndicate accountant Lou Greenberg with deep ties to Al Capone, churning out illicit beer under names like Malt Maid and Fort Dearborn Products. After Repeal, mob boss Frank Nitti held an ownership interest, and the company quickly became one of the nation's leading canned-beer producers. In 1947, the firm officially changed its name to Canadian Ace Brewing Company to shed its gangster notoriety. Despite acquiring legacy regional recipes, the brewery succumbed to intense industry consolidation and closed permanently in 1968.

Chicago breweriana holds an enduring place among can enthusiasts due to the city's rich industrial heritage and storied underworld connections. For collectors of self-opening steel cans, this piece represents a tangible link to the final chapters of Chicago's historic mid-century brewing scene.