Hull's Export Beer Flat Top Can

Hull's Export Beer Flat Top

The Hull's Export Beer Flat Top Can is a standout piece of East Coast breweriana, originating from the Hull Brewing Company of New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1872 by William Hull, the brewery grew into a cornerstone of Connecticut's industrial and cultural heritage. Following the repeal of Prohibition, Hull shifted operations to Congress Avenue and established itself as a regional powerhouse. For decades during the mid-twentieth century, Hull stood as Connecticut's sole operating commercial brewery, making its cans central to state and regional brewing history.

The "Export" designation on Hull's cans signaled a premium recipe intended to showcase the brewery's quality beyond its home territory. The can features classic mid-century graphics, prominently highlighting the trademark Hull's script logo alongside traditional brewing heraldry and clean color blocking. During its manufacturing history, cans for the brand were produced by major packaging manufacturers of the era, such as the Crown Cork & Seal Company.

Collectors recognize various variations of the Hull's Export Beer flat top. These variations include differences in mandatory text, side-panel brewery statements, distributor markings, and minor adjustments to the graphic layout. In addition, regulatory labeling changes across production runs resulted in distinct versions sought by collectors of New England breweriana.

Hull's historic tenure in New Haven concluded when the Congress Avenue brewery ceased operations in the late 1970s. Because Hull's was the definitive hometown brand and the last remaining regional packaging brewery in Connecticut for an entire generation, this flat top can serves as an enduring artifact of the classic era of American regional brewing.