Old Tap Brand Select Stock Ale Cone Top Can

Old Tap Select Stock Ale Cone Top

This twelve-ounce high-profile container is an artifact of mid-century New England brewing, manufactured during the Internal Revenue Tax Paid era. It displays an internal revenue tax statement on the side panel, firmly situating its manufacture prior to the federal tax statement repeal in 1950. Visually, the container is anchored by a prominent oval medallion framed in yellow against an all-green backdrop. Inside the frame is a detailed, full-color portrait of a cheerful tavern patron in historic colonial-era dress, sporting a soft hat, a broad blue bow tie, and a warm smile as he raises a stemmed glass of golden ale in a toast. Below the portrait, the typography pairs bold Old English gothic lettering for "Old Tap" with cursive script for "Select Stock" and clean block capitals for "ALE".

Enterprise introduced the Old Tap label following the repeal of Prohibition, positioning it as a hearty, traditional beverage for the New England market. The "Select Stock" designation communicated a premium, aged quality to consumers. Enterprise built its regional advertising around tavern hospitality and colonial nostalgia, utilizing the jovial toper illustration as the central mascot of the brand. This recognizable character was featured extensively across promotional materials, including back-bar displays, lit tavern signs, lithographed serving trays, and bottle labels throughout the 1930s and 1940s before changing consumer tastes phased out the label.

The Enterprise Brewing Company operated in Fall River, Massachusetts, an industrial manufacturing hub along Mount Hope Bay. The facility traced its lineage to the Old Colony Brewing Company, founded in 1896 under the involvement of prominent Massachusetts brewer Rudolf F. Haffenreffer. After Prohibition suspended operations, the brewery was revived and incorporated under the Enterprise name in 1933. Enterprise carved out a loyal following across southern New England, turning out staple local labels like Old Tap, Clyde Cream Ale, and Boh. In the post-World War II period, large national shipping breweries expanded their distribution networks and applied intense competitive pressure on independent regional producers. Enterprise struggled against these industry shifts and closed permanently in 1963.

Within the collecting community, this can remains highly regarded among enthusiasts of Massachusetts breweriana. Cone tops bearing expressive character artwork are especially favored by collectors of early pictorial advertising and mid-century packaging art.