Jax Beer Flat Top Can

Jax Beer Flat Top Can

This 12-ounce flat top can represents a classic mid-century package design from Jackson Brewing Company of New Orleans, Louisiana. Distinguished by its enamel paint finish, the label pairs a diagonal white split layout with a textured gold background. Prominently featured above the bold red Jax cartouche is the company’s signature equestrian emblem, depicting General Andrew Jackson on horseback encircled by a laurel wreath. The upper portion displays "Since 1890" in elegant script, while the lower rim carries the brewery's mandatory statement.

Jax Beer was named in honor of Andrew Jackson and nearby Jackson Square in New Orleans. Across the mid-twentieth century, Jax became one of the most visible beers in the South, supported by widespread television, radio, and print marketing campaigns that championed it as a beloved regional everyday brew. While a separate brewery in Jacksonville, Florida, initially shared the Jax brand name under a territorial split arrangement, Jackson Brewing acquired complete ownership of the trademark in 1956. When Jackson Brewing ceased operations in the 1970s, the recipe and brand rights were purchased by the Pearl Brewing Company of San Antonio, Texas, which continued production for several years.

Jackson Brewing Company was founded in 1890 by Lawrence Fabacher along Decatur Street in the French Quarter. It established itself as a formidable force in the local market, becoming the only major New Orleans brewery to successfully endure Prohibition by shifting its facilities to produce non-alcoholic beverages and commercial ice. Following Repeal, the company modernized and expanded rapidly, eventually growing to become the largest brewing facility in the Southern United States. However, increasing pressure and advertising muscle from national macrobreweries eventually strained regional sales, leading to the brewery's closure in 1974. The distinctive riverside brick facility still stands today as a preserved French Quarter landmark.

Among breweriana enthusiasts, this flat top can remains a celebrated representative of New Orleans cultural and industrial heritage. Mid-century regional cans from the Deep South are widely sought after, and collectors particularly value the subtle production distinctions found among finishes such as enamel and metallic paint.