Little Imp Extra Dry Beer Flat Top Can

Little Imp Extra Dry Flat Top Can

Little Imp Extra Dry Pale Beer is a 12 oz flat top can produced during the 1940s tax-paid era by Southern Brewing Company of Los Angeles, California. The container features a parchment scroll design set against a metallic background, highlighted at the top by its distinct mascot: an illustrated cartoon imp wearing a flowing red cape and holding a slender three-pronged pitchfork.

Southern Brewing Company introduced the Little Imp label in the 1940s to market an "Extra Dry" pale beer tailored to the expanding post-war Southern California consumer market. Brewery lore recalls that the brand name was inspired by the young daughter of an employee who frequently visited the plant and was affectionately nicknamed "Little Imp" by staff. During a meeting to create and test new product lines, the endearing nickname was suggested and quickly approved alongside the impish devil illustration. Despite its vibrant packaging and memorable character design, the brand had a relatively brief production run before fading from production in the 1950s.

Southern Brewing Company operated at 671 South Rio Street in Los Angeles, functioning as a primary regional operating name and affiliate of Grace Bros. Brewery, Ltd. The Rio Street facility had previously hosted earlier operations such as Catalina Brewing and Rio Brewing before the Grace family acquired and integrated the site in the late 1930s. Operating under various corporate trade aliases, the Los Angeles facility produced numerous local canned and bottled beers to supply taverns, grocers, and distributors across Southern California. As post-war market pressures and intense competition from major national shipping breweries mounted, the Rio Street brewing operations finally ceased in the late 1950s.

Mid-century California flat tops are a favorite niche among vintage breweriana collectors, and Little Imp stands out as a prime example of imaginative character marketing from the era. Its bold, devilish artwork and metallic lithography make it a cherished representative of independent Los Angeles brewing history.