Old Crown Bock Flat Top Can

Old Crown Bock by Centlivre

The Old Crown Bock flat top can represents a notable seasonal release from the Centlivre Brewing Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Centlivre, founded along Spy Run Avenue by French immigrant Charles Louis Centlivre, was a regional brewing powerhouse and became the first brewery in northern Indiana to package beer in metal cans.

While Centlivre's flagship Old Crown Beer and Old Crown Ale enjoyed high-volume production and widespread distribution throughout the Midwest, Old Crown Bock was brewed and canned specifically for the seasonal spring market. Because seasonal bocks were produced in considerably smaller batches than the brewery's standard year-round offerings, cans bearing the Old Crown Bock label were filled in limited quantities.

The graphic design features the distinctive Old Crown trade dress, integrating traditional bock goat iconography alongside bold mid-century typography and the Centlivre name. The can was manufactured by the American Can Company and displays the mandatory brewery statements and tax notices reflecting Centlivre's operations.

Collectors have documented variations of this can, primarily distinguished by differences in side-panel mandatory text and can manufacturer coding. The can stands as an enduring artifact of Fort Wayne's commercial brewing history, representing both the legacy of the Centlivre family and regional Midwestern breweriana.