Imperial Extra Dry Pale Beer Flat Top Can

Imperial Extra Dry Flat Top Can

The Imperial Extra Dry Pale Beer flat top can is a 12-ounce steel container produced by Grace Bros. Ltd. in Los Angeles, California. Dating from the 1940s, the can features the mandatory "INTERNAL REVENUE TAX PAID" statement positioned directly below the words "PALE BEER". Its lithographed label presents a simulated parchment scroll accented with red shading and a prominent red wax seal motif displaying a golden crown.

The Imperial brand was marketed by Grace Bros. during the late 1930s and 1940s as a refined pale beer option. Packaging the beverage with regal imagery and classic script allowed the brewery to position the label as a premium, sophisticated offering. The "Extra Dry" designation catered to prevailing mid-century consumer preferences, joining an extensive roster of Grace Bros. brands distributed across California taverns and retail stores.

The Grace Brothers brewing legacy began in Santa Rosa, California, where Joseph T. Grace and his brother Frank built a brewing venture in the late 1890s. The business navigated Prohibition by producing soft drinks and near beer before resuming full brewing operations following Repeal. In 1937, the firm acquired the former Rio Brewing Company plant on South Rio Street in Los Angeles, establishing Grace Bros. Ltd. to supply the southern California market. By the 1940s, Grace Bros. ranked among the largest brewing companies in the state. Following an internal division of corporate assets, the Los Angeles facility operated independently under Joseph Grace, continuing to bottle and can regional labels before rising competition from national brewing conglomerates prompted its mid-1950s demise.

For vintage breweriana enthusiasts, this flat top can represents an appealing piece of mid-century California brewing heritage. Its distinctive heraldic wax seal design, combined with the historical tax declaration, makes it a desirable specimen for collectors focused on post-Repeal West Coast packaging and the industrial history of Los Angeles breweries.