Matt's Premium Lager Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Matt's Premium Lager Beer Can

Produced by the F.X. Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York, the Matt's Premium Lager Beer 12 oz tab top can represents an important chapter in the history of one of America's oldest continuously operating family breweries. Founded in 1888 by Francis Xavier Matt I as the West End Brewing Company, the Utica brewery built a reputation for enduring regional heritage and packaging innovation.

During a period of consolidation in the American brewing landscape, the brewery introduced the Matt's Premium brand alongside its flagship Utica Club and specialty offerings to diversify its portfolio. Bearing the family name and classic heraldic imagery, the brand became a familiar staple throughout upstate New York and surrounding northeastern markets.

For breweriana collectors, the can features the traditional Matt's crest, bold banner typography, and classic metallic accents. Over the course of its production run, several variations were manufactured. Collectors document differences in metal composition between aluminum and steel body constructions, subtle adjustments to the mandatory legal text and seam copy, and the eventual addition of early Universal Product Codes (UPCs) during the retail transition of the era.

F.X. Matt holds a storied place in American brewing history, famously being the first brewery in the nation to receive a permit and deliver beer upon the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, as well as innovating packaging formats like the famous "Beer Ball". As the brewery eventually transitioned toward its modern craft portfolio under the Saranac umbrella, cans bearing the eponymous Matt's brand became quintessential centerpieces for collectors focusing on New York brewing history and regional American lager packaging.