Colt 45 Malt Liquor 16 Oz Tab Top Can

Phoenix Colt 45 16 Oz Tab Top

Introduced by the National Brewing Company in the spring of 1963, Colt 45 quickly established itself as one of the most prominent malt liquor labels in the United States. Designed to compete in the expanding malt liquor category, the package artwork featured the iconic kicking stallion silhouette and horseshoe emblem. Brand lore frequently connects the name to Baltimore Colts running back Jerry Hill, who wore jersey number 45 during the era of the beverage's introduction.

As demand grew, National Brewing expanded operations beyond its flagship Baltimore facilities and packaged products across regional plants, including its Phoenix, Arizona location. This 16-ounce pint can specifically displays the brewery credit line for "National of Balto., MD" alongside the Phoenix plant designation.

For breweriana collectors, 16-ounce tall boy cans represent a distinct display format compared to standard 12-ounce releases. Variations exist across different canning runs and city list configurations as National Brewing updated its regional distribution footprint, making cans bearing the Phoenix plant credit particularly sought after by collectors of Western brewing history.