Fox Head 400 Beer Flat Top Can

Fox Head 400 Beer Flat Top Can

Produced during the early 1960s, this 12-ounce flat top represents a pivotal transition period for a classic Midwestern label. The front is highlighted by the brewery’s mascot—the illustrated fox head in a circular medallion—perched directly above the bold nameplate. Behind the brand lettering sits an inset field of vertical stripes printed in a rich, darker shade of blue, distinguishing it from lighter-toned printings. Below the central shield, the can declares that the beverage was brewed only in Wisconsin with pure spring water, while the lower gold rim band designates the canning location as Fox Head Brewing Co. in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Fox Head "400" debuted in the summer of 1934, arriving just months after the repeal of Prohibition. Tailored to upscale tastes, the "400" name referenced high society's elite circles and was promoted with slogans such as "For those who make a fine art of living". Across print, radio, and tavern displays, advertising centered on pure Wisconsin spring water as the defining ingredient. Fox Head "400" enjoyed strong regional loyalty across the Upper Midwest and endured through multiple brewery changes before eventually disappearing in the late 1970s.

The brewery began operations in Waukesha, Wisconsin, founded in 1893 as the Waukesha Imperial Spring Brewing Company. Capitalizing on Waukesha's reputation as a mineral spring resort destination, the company stayed afloat throughout Prohibition by bottling mineral water and near beer. Re-emerging under the name Fox Head Brewing Company, the firm modernised and grew, even running national advertising campaigns in the early 1950s. However, mounting financial hurdles and leadership shakeups marked the later 1950s. In 1962, the G. Heileman Brewing Company purchased the Fox Head brands and assets. Heileman closed the Waukesha brewery and transferred production of the Fox Head lineup to its primary plant in La Crosse, operating under the Fox Head division name.

To breweriana enthusiasts, this can serves as a classic artifact of mid-century brewery consolidation. Because the brand spent the vast majority of its existence based in Waukesha, examples bearing the La Crosse city mandatory stand out. It provides collectors of Wisconsin brewing history and flat tops an essential link connecting Waukesha’s spring-water brewing legacy with G. Heileman’s era of regional brand acquisition.