Old German Brand Beer Flat Top Can

Hammonton's Old German Flat Top

This 12-ounce flat top can represents mid-century regional packaging produced under the Colonial Brewing Company name in Hammonton, New Jersey. Manufactured with a metallic silver background and a wide-seam steel body, the container utilizes American Can Company's proprietary "Keglined" canning process, noted along the upper side rim. The lower front portion of the label features the marketing declaration "Brewed with Pure Artesian Well Water" in red script, highlighting the natural water source utilized by the Hammonton facility.

Old German Brand was positioned as an approachable, Old World-inspired lager aimed at value-conscious consumers across the Mid-Atlantic market. Mid-century regional brewers often relied on traditional German motifs to signal classic lager quality. The design emphasizes this heritage through a stylized heraldic eagle emblem placed prominently above the brand name, flanked by vertical stalks of barley framing the red central field. The brand sustained steady distribution through the flat top era before evolving alongside packaging shifts into tab-top cans during subsequent decades.

The beer was produced in Atlantic County by Colonial Brewing Company, which operated as a primary trade name for the Eastern Brewing Corporation. Founded in 1933 following the repeal of Prohibition as the Eastern Beverage Corporation, the facility was established along North Washington Street in Hammonton. Operating as the town's sole commercial brewery, the plant survived intense competition and industry consolidation by embracing contract brewing, packing proprietary labels, and distributing economy brands under an assortment of corporate aliases. Eastern Brewing maintained active production in Hammonton for decades before closing in 1990.

Among breweriana collectors, this flat top can serves as an appealing piece of New Jersey brewing history. Because Hammonton hosted only one commercial brewing operation, cans bearing the Colonial trade name hold a significant place in collections focused on Garden State labels. The combination of mid-century heraldic artwork, metallic finish, and classic wide-seam steel construction makes it a standout example of post-war regional contract brewing.