Pickwick Ale 12 Oz Zip Top Can

Boston's Pickwick Ale Zip Top

The Pickwick Ale 12 Oz Zip Top Can is a notable piece of New England breweriana from Haffenreffer & Co. of Boston, Massachusetts. Pickwick Ale served as one of Haffenreffer’s flagship offerings, named after Charles Dickens' famed literary character Mr. Pickwick and featuring the iconic illustration of the character on the label.

Brewery Heritage and Significance

Founded in 1870 in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston by German immigrant Rudolph Haffenreffer, the brewery grew into an iconic regional establishment. Pickwick Ale established a strong following across the Northeast throughout the mid-20th century. The arrival of the zip top can coincided with the final chapter of Haffenreffer's brewing operations in Boston. When the Jamaica Plain facility closed in 1965, the event marked a major milestone in local brewing history, leaving Massachusetts without an active regional brewery until the modern craft era. After the shutdown, the Pickwick brand was sold to the Narragansett Brewing Company, while the historic Boston brewery complex was later repurposed, famously becoming home to the Boston Beer Company.

Collector Notes and Variations

This 12-ounce container features the classic green, red, and white color scheme that defined the Pickwick brand identity. Among breweriana enthusiasts, known variations include subtle differences in side-panel mandatory text, manufacturer stamps, and canning code placements. Because Haffenreffer’s independent Boston brewing history concluded shortly after the industry began adopting zip tops, cans displaying the original Haffenreffer & Co., Boston, Mass. distributor markings represent the last generation of Pickwick cans to emerge directly from the historic Jamaica Plain brewery.