Fox Head 400 Beer Flat Top Can

Fox Head 400 Flat Top Beer Can

This 12-ounce flat top can represents a classic post-World War II design from Fox Head Brewing Company, marked with a 1949 copyright notice along the lower front. Prominently displayed beneath the central brand lettering is the slogan "Brewed with Waukesha Water" scripted in red, highlighting the regional spring water heritage that served as the cornerstone of the brewery's marketing. The upper horizontal band includes the mandatory Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement alongside the liquid volume declaration, situating the container firmly within the mid-century era prior to the removal of federal tax statement requirements.

Fox Head "400" served as the flagship offering of the Waukesha company. Positioned as a quality Midwestern lager, it was heavily promoted around the pristine reputation of Waukesha mineral spring water, which had previously turned the city into a celebrated resort destination. Promotional campaigns regularly featured the brewery's distinctive red-and-white fox profile enclosed within golden stalks of grain, accompanied by slogans touting pure ingredients and Wisconsin craftsmanship. The label remained a staple in regional taverns and stores throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

The brewery's origins date back to 1893 as the Waukesha Spring Brewing Company, later reorganizing into the Milwaukee-Waukesha Brewing Company. During Prohibition, the enterprise adapted by bottling mineral waters, carbonated sodas, and near-beer under the banner of the Fox Head Beverage Company. Following the repeal of Prohibition, operations resumed under the Fox-Head Waukesha Corporation and later Fox Head Brewing Company. Despite modernization and post-war sales growth, increasing competition from national mega-breweries prompted consolidation. Fox Head merged with neighbor Weber Brewing in 1958, and the combined operation was acquired in 1962 by the G. Heileman Brewing Company, which soon shuttered the historic Waukesha facilities.

Among breweriana collectors, this can is celebrated as a premier artifact of Wisconsin's vibrant mid-century brewing scene. Its clean typographic layout, prominent fox mascot iconography, and direct connection to Waukesha's famous water trade make it a quintessential example of post-war canned breweriana.