Matt's Premium Lager Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Matt's Premium Lager Tab Top

The Matt's Premium Lager Beer 12 oz tab top can is a notable piece of breweriana issued by the F.X. Matt Brewing Company of Utica, New York. Originally established in 1888 as The West End Brewing Company by German immigrant Francis Xavier Matt I, the historic regional brewery built a strong presence in central New York and gained national fame as the first brewery in the United States to obtain a license and deliver beer after the repeal of Prohibition.

Through decades of industry consolidation, F.X. Matt retained its independent family ownership by producing a regional lineup anchored by Utica Club, Fort Schuyler, and its namesake Matt's Premium label. The Matt's brand served as a centerpiece of the brewery's portfolio in the mid-to-late 20th century, carrying the family surname directly on the label.

The can features the brewery's signature red, white, and gold design elements, centered around bold script lettering accompanied by traditional brewing crests and laurel motifs. Over the course of the label's run, can manufacturers such as the Reynolds Aluminum Company produced these containers in all-aluminum formats.

For collectors, known variations exist across the production history of this tab top can. These variations reflect evolving industry and regulatory standards, including cans produced with or without the Universal Product Code (UPC barcode) and differences in mandatory state container deposit markings. Variations also exist in the mandatory brewery legal text, which alternates between crediting the F.X. Matt Brewing Company and citing its trade name designation under the West End Brewing Company.