Old Dutch Brand Lager Beer Quart

Old Dutch Brand Lager Beer Quart Can

This 32-ounce quart cone top was manufactured for the Metropolis Brewery of New York, New York, dating to the post-World War II era. Distinguished by its large-format construction, the container carries a federal tax statement, placing its production in the period when law required mandatory internal revenue markings on malt beverage packaging. The bright red can centers on an oval parchment cartouche displaying stylized blackletter typography accented with red highlights, anchored by a lower "PREMIUM" ribbon banner and crowned with a circular medallion depicting a traditional Dutch windmill.

The Old Dutch brand was developed as an approachable regional lager, utilizing Dutch imagery and heritage motifs that resonated with New York’s deep colonial history. Marketed as a traditional premium lager, the brand was packaged in standard 12-ounce containers as well as large quart formats intended for family sharing and tavern service. Following shifting ownership in the postwar era, the brand moved through different regional brewing facilities before eventually being retired amidst market consolidation.

Metropolis Brewery operated out of a historic Manhattan brewing complex situated near 1st Avenue and 29th Street, a site that had previously housed the Fidelio Brewery and the Greater New York Brewery. Acquired by brewing entrepreneur Abraham Hertzberg in the mid-1940s, the plant took on the Metropolis name and functioned as a major urban facility servicing regional metropolitan markets. Despite maintaining a steady portfolio of house labels and private label contracts, mounting post-war competition from expanding national shipping brewers led to the closure of the Manhattan plant during the 1950s, with production shifting to associated operations in New Jersey.

Quart cone tops occupy a revered niche among vintage breweriana enthusiasts due to their impressive size and classic steel profile. Packaging from New York City's mid-century brewing scene represents an important era of urban industrial packaging, making quart-sized cone tops from this period enduring centerpieces in regional and large-format collections.