Fox Head 400 Real Draft Flat Top Can

Fox Head 400 Real Draft Flat Top

Produced during the early-to-mid 1960s packaged draft beer boom, this twelve-ounce flat top represents an important post-acquisition chapter for a venerable Wisconsin label. Bearing the imprint of the Fox Head Division of Heileman in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the can features three-piece soldered steel construction. A notable formatting detail of this release is that its mandatory brewery information and volume statements are positioned on the face directly opposite the can's side seam, an arrangement catalogers specifically track. The face displays bold red lettering heralding "REAL DRAFT" over a blue keystone and white geometric crest, anchored at the base by a gold grid pattern and the cursive script "Brewed only in Wisconsin".

Fox Head originated in Waukesha, Wisconsin, gaining acclaim in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by touting the region’s mineral spring water. The "400" brand was introduced to evoke luxury and prestige, echoing both high-society registries and the celebrated speed of the Chicago and North Western Railway's 400 passenger train. Promoted with slogans highlighting pure water and Wisconsin craftsmanship, Fox Head "400" remained a regional favorite for decades. During the 1960s, as filtration developments allowed breweries to package beer that simulated unpasteurized tavern tap beer, the label adopted the "Real Draft" designation to capitalize on the industry-wide draft beer craze.

The Sheboygan brewery responsible for this can traced its lineage back to 1847 when it was established by the Gutsch brothers. Known as the Gutsch Brewing Company by the late nineteenth century, it weathered Prohibition by marketing near-beer and malt products before re-emerging as Kingsbury Breweries in 1934. In the early 1960s, La Crosse-based brewing powerhouse G. Heileman acquired Kingsbury's facilities along with the Fox Head brand rights. Heileman operated the Sheboygan plant under divisional trade names to keep legacy regional labels on store shelves until closing the aging brewery in the 1970s.

For breweriana collectors, this can holds meaningful appeal as an artifact of Wisconsin brewing consolidation. Draft-style flat tops from this era capture the final years of churchkey-opened cans just before self-opening pull tabs took over the retail market. Cans reflecting Heileman's various regional division imprints also provide enthusiasts with tangible evidence of how mid-century brewing conglomerates absorbed and sustained independent local labels.