Drewrys Extra Dry Beer Flat Top Can

Chicago's Drewrys Extra Dry Flat Top

The Drewrys Extra Dry Beer flat top produced for Drewry's Ltd. in Chicago, Illinois, holds a prominent spot in Midwest breweriana history. While the Drewrys brand originated in Canada and established its primary American production hub in South Bend, Indiana, cans bearing the Chicago plant mandatory designation represent a much more elusive find among collectors.

The label prominently showcases the company's famous Canadian Mountie mascot, clad in his classic uniform, serving as an enduring visual trademark tying the American product back to its northern heritage. The can design features bold typography emphasizing the "Extra Dry" designation alongside vibrant color accents and metallic trim.

Surviving examples of this Chicago-designated container carry fascinating collector lore. A notable discovery of these cans occurred during the 1970s inside a Chicago tavern, where a large decorative display pyramid of cans had been soldered together. As a consequence of how they were assembled and later salvaged, numerous surviving specimens from that cache bear distinctive heat and solder marks along their seams.

Multiple design variations of the Extra Dry flat top exist from different canning manufacturers, such as American Can Company and Continental Can Company. These variations feature subtle differences in metallic sheen, background finishes ranging from satin silver to solid enamel, and slight alterations in mandatory text placement. Because Drewrys distributed a larger volume under its South Bend label, specimens carrying the Chicago mandatory remain especially prized by collectors.