Old Crown Ale Flat Top Can

Old Crown Ale Flat Top History

Produced by the Centlivre Brewing Corporation of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Old Crown Ale flat top represents a prominent chapter in midwestern brewing history. Founded in 1862 by French immigrant Charles L. Centlivre, the brewery originally operated as the French Brewery along Spy Run Creek before eventually adopting the name of its most popular flagship label, Old Crown.

The Old Crown Ale flat top is distinguished by its classic mid-century graphic identity, featuring the royal crown emblem, distinctive gothic lettering, and bold decorative panels. The brewery frequently highlighted its proprietary "Lazy Aged" brewing process on the can face, promoting the slow fermentation method that defined the brand.

For breweriana enthusiasts, Old Crown Ale cans showcase notable historical interest reflecting changes in can manufacturing and brewery branding. Manufactured in partnership with packaging producers like the American Can Company using the trademark "Keglined" process, these cans appeared in instructional variations with side-panel guides as well as later non-instructional iterations. Variations in background coloring and accent bands—including metallic finishes and various color sets—were distributed during its manufacturing era.

As Centlivre Brewing Corporation evolved, eventually renaming the business to the Old Crown Brewing Corporation before operations ended in the 1970s, the Old Crown Ale flat top cemented its legacy as one of the most recognizable regional ale cans from Indiana.