Pickwick Light Ale Cone Top Can

Haffenreffer's Pickwick Light Ale

Produced by Haffenreffer & Co., Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts, this high-profile cone top represents one of the region's prominent post-Prohibition ale brands. The Haffenreffer brewery, originally established in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood in 1870, made the Pickwick line a staple across New England taverns and retailers.

Label and Regulatory Features

The label art centers on the traditional Haffenreffer heraldic crest, which depicts a crowned shield flanked by supporters above a ribbon bearing the brewery's founding year of 1870. The brand name "PICKWICK ALE" appears in bold black serif lettering above the crest, while the brewery's signature "Haffenreffer" script anchors the lower portion of the design. Setting this version apart is the prominent light blue "LIGHT" lettering stamped diagonally across the gold emblem.

Along the upper gold band, the can carries federal and state regulatory text, including the Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement alongside "MASS. PERMIT NO. 1." This permit designation reflects Haffenreffer’s historic standing as the first commercial brewery licensed in Massachusetts following the end of Prohibition. The bottom rim band credits manufacturing to "HAFFENREFFER & CO., INC. BOSTON, MASS."