Ebling's White Head Ale Cone Top Can

Ebling's White Head Ale Cone Top

This twelve-ounce cone top container represents a notable chapter in post-Repeal New York brewing history. Manufactured in the late 1930s, the can is distinguished by its applied paper label wrapped around the metal body rather than standard direct lithography. It features an era-defining federal tax statement, affirming tax compliance, and is constructed in a low-profile cone format topped with a classic crown cap.

The White Head Ale brand was introduced by the brewery in the 1930s to broaden its lineup alongside its core lagers. The packaging leaned into a clever visual play: the finely drawn profile of a bridled white horse set against an orange circular backdrop directly reinforced the frothy, dense white head expected from a well-poured ale. Ebling promoted White Head Ale across the New York metropolitan area through tavern tap handles, bar coasters, and print marketing, positioning it as a hearty, quality domestic ale until the label faded from distribution in the postwar period.

The company behind the can, the Ebling Brewing Company, was established in 1868 in the Bronx by German immigrant brothers Philip and William Ebling. Headquartered along St. Ann's Avenue in the Melrose district, the brewery famously utilized a network of subterranean rock vaults excavated into the hillside for aging and conditioning its brews. Ebling weathered significant adversity over the decades, enduring federal raids and temporary padlock closures during Prohibition before resuming operations upon Repeal. Post-World War II pressures, intensifying competition from large national shipping brewers, and a crippling citywide brewery workers' strike in 1949 eventually forced the historic facility to close its doors around 1950.

Among breweriana enthusiasts, paper-labeled cone tops hold special interest because paper bands seldom survived damp environments and cellar storage intact. Paired with its graphic equine artwork and connection to the vanished industrial brewing landscape of the Bronx, the can serves as an evocative piece of early canned beer heritage.