London Bobby Brand Ale Crowntainer

London Bobby Ale Crowntainer

The London Bobby Brand Ale Crowntainer was produced by the Miami Valley Brewing Company of Dayton, Ohio. Miami Valley holds a distinguished position in local brewing history as Dayton's only post-Prohibition brewery to can beer prior to the modern craft era.

Historical Context

Miami Valley Brewing operated out of a historic brewery complex at First and Beckel Streets in Dayton. When post-war metal allocations allowed breweries to resume packaging beer in metal containers, Miami Valley selected the Crowntainer format. This decision allowed the brewery to package their flagship London Bobby brand on existing bottling machinery without requiring the major capital expenditure of installing a dedicated canning line. While the brand enjoyed regional popularity, competition from larger regional breweries eventually led to Miami Valley Brewing's closure. The London Bobby brand was subsequently acquired and briefly produced by the Cincinnati Brewing Company in Reading, Ohio.

Graphic Design and Variations

The can showcases an illustrated portrait of a traditional British police constable—the namesake "London Bobby"—clad in uniform and helmet against a clean mid-century color scheme. Among breweriana enthusiasts, known variations include differences in mandatory text statements and tax notices across separate production runs. Today, it remains a prized example of mid-20th-century Ohio breweriana due to its bold character illustration and its connection to Dayton's canning history.