Croft Cream Ale Flat Top Can

Croft Cream Ale Flat Top

The Croft Cream Ale flat top can is a classic piece of New England breweriana produced by The Croft Brewing Company of Boston, Massachusetts. Following the repeal of Prohibition, brewmaster Walter J. Croft revitalized the historic Highland Spring Brewery site in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, quickly re-establishing the facility as a prominent regional ale brewery.

Graphic Design and Motifs

Collectors readily recognize Croft Cream Ale flat tops by their distinctive mid-century packaging graphics. A standout design among collectors features three stylized yellow character faces—commonly known in the collecting community as "lemon heads"—used in marketing alongside clean typography. Other flat top designs showcase a large green oval framing the Croft brand script with refined Art Deco styling.

Documented Variations

Manufactured primarily by the American Can Company, the Croft Cream Ale flat top encompasses several recognized manufacturing variations. These differences reflect changes in federal regulations and canning practices over the brewery's active lifespan, including variations with and without side-panel opening instructions, cans bearing the "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" (IRTP) statement, and later non-IRTP examples. Collectors also note differences in alcohol mandatory text and state tax markings.

After The Croft Brewing Company was acquired by the Narragansett Brewing Company, the Croft brand was phased out and rebranded, making these original Boston flat tops notable historical artifacts from Massachusetts' post-Prohibition brewing scene.