Drewrys Old Stock Ale Flat Top Can

Drewrys Old Stock Ale from South Bend

The Drewrys Old Stock Ale flat top can is a mid-century offering produced by Drewrys Ltd. U.S.A., Inc. in South Bend, Indiana. Dating from the era of mandatory federal alcohol taxation markings, the container carries the upper-rim "INTERNAL REVENUE TAX PAID" statement alongside a contents declaration of 12 fluid ounces. A defining text element on this steel flat top is the phrase "A PRODUCT OF THE U.S.A." printed along the lower perimeter of the central oval, balancing the brand's foreign heritage themes with domestic packaging requirements.

Drewrys traced its lineage to 1877, when Edward Lancaster Drewry established the brewery in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Following the repeal of Prohibition in the United States, investors sought to introduce Canadian-style ales directly to the thirsty American market. Positioned with the banner "Canada's Pride Brand Since 1877," Old Stock Ale relied heavily on northern motifs, prominently featuring a red-coated Canadian Mountie beside his horse. This mascot served as the brand's central visual identity across point-of-sale displays, print advertisements, and packaging throughout the mid-twentieth century.

To brew the beverage stateside, investors purchased the historic Muessel Brewing Company complex on Elwood Avenue in South Bend in 1936. Operating as Drewrys Limited U.S.A., the brewery expanded rapidly during the postwar boom, modernizing facilities and acquiring other regional operations such as Piel Bros. At its zenith, the South Bend plant brewed well over a million barrels per year, ranking among the largest independent producers in the Midwest. The company joined Associated Brewing Company in the 1960s, but intensifying national competition prompted a sale to G. Heileman Brewing in 1972, which shut down the South Bend brewery shortly thereafter.

For breweriana collectors, this flat top can represents a key chapter in Indiana brewing history. The bold Canadian Mountie illustration, historical tax stamp notation, and mid-century marketing narrative make it an enduring and desirable display piece from the regional canning era.