Drewrys Draft 16 Oz Tab Top Can

Drewrys Draft 16 Oz Tab Top Can

This 16-ounce straight steel tab top can represents the mid-1960s packaged draft boom, produced in the taller half-quart volume. Bookended by bright yellow bands, the face of the can features a detailed graphic of a wooden barrelhead fitted with a traditional wooden spigot, boldly stamped with the brand name. Above the cask, the yellow header declares "HALF QUART" alongside the volume designation "ONE PINT—16 FL. OZ." and the Drewrys crown emblem. Along the bottom rim, an explicit quality statement reads: "We certify that this is genuine non-pasteurized draft beer."

Drewrys Draft was introduced during a period when advances in cold filtration allowed breweries to package genuine draft beer without heat pasteurization. Regional brewers used this breakthrough to market canned beer that promised the authentic, fresh character of tavern draught. Rather than utilizing the iconic Canadian Mountie mascot that had long served as the brewery's primary symbol, Drewrys opted for a rustic barrel-and-tap aesthetic to highlight the beer's unpasteurized heritage. As consolidation swept the brewing industry in the subsequent decades, the standalone draft line was eventually retired.

The brewery itself originated across the border in Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded in 1877 by Edward Lancaster Drewry. With the repeal of American Prohibition in 1933, the company moved into the United States, initially contract brewing in Evansville, Indiana. In 1936, the American business was sold to an independent ownership group that purchased the former Muessel Brewing Company facility in South Bend, Indiana. Under the name Drewrys Ltd., the South Bend operation expanded into one of the top regional brewing powers in the country, acquiring plants in Chicago and Detroit. Increased competition from national brewing giants eventually led Drewrys to merge into the Associated Brewing Company in 1965. The South Bend facility was subsequently sold to G. Heileman Brewing in 1972, which closed the local plant.

For collectors of Indiana and Midwestern breweriana, 16-ounce half-quart cans from the early pull tab era hold particular appeal. Oversized steel cans from the draft beer revolution showcase a distinctive advertising trend of the 1960s, making this barrel-fronted can a key piece of post-war packaging history.