Murphy's Ale Cone Top Can

Murphy's Ale High Cone Top

The Murphy's Ale high cone top container represents mid-twentieth-century New England brewing history. Packaged in a twelve-ounce volume, this can carries the mandatory "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" statement running along the upper curved border, placing its manufacture prior to the repeal of federal tax-paid notation requirements in the early 1950s. The graphic design centers a bold crimson oval against a rich green field, bordered by regulatory text that includes Massachusetts Permit M-13. Anchoring the upper portion of the insignia is a traditional heraldic coat of arms beneath a lion crest, underscored by a ribbon displaying the Latin motto Fortis et Hospitalis.

Star Brewing introduced Murphy's Ale following the repeal of Prohibition to appeal directly to regional drinkers. Incorporating traditional Irish heraldic motifs alongside distinctive blackletter typography, the brand connected strongly with Boston's substantial Irish-American community. Murphy's Ale served as one of Star's signature post-repeal offerings, distributed throughout local package stores and neighborhood taprooms across eastern Massachusetts and greater New England.

The Star Brewing Company was founded in 1896 on Shirley Street in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. The brewery built a steady regional trade in both ales and lagers until the onset of national Prohibition forced the suspension of brewing operations in 1918. Following the return of legal brewing in 1933, Star reopened and modernized its packaging lines, eventually adopting cone top cans to preserve freshness and expand distribution. However, the rise of heavily advertised national shipping breweries after World War II created fierce competition for independent city breweries, leading Star Brewing to permanently cease operations in 1952.

Among breweriana collectors, cone top cans from Massachusetts breweries enjoy keen demand due to the limited number of regional operations in the Commonwealth that packaged their beers in cone top containers. The Murphy's Ale high cone top remains a classic centerpiece for collectors specializing in New England brewing history, mid-century typography, and vintage Irish-themed breweriana.