Rams Head Ale 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Rams Head Old Stock Ale Tab Top Can

This 12-ounce Rams Head Old Stock Ale tab top can represents a seamless drawn and ironed steel design produced during the 1970s. The label features horizontal green and cream banding framing an ornate heraldic crest with supporting beasts surrounding a quartered shield. A notable feature of this specific release is its mandatory brewery statement listing three operating cities, identifying C. Schmidt & Sons' multi-plant production footprint during the era.

Rams Head Ale debuted immediately following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 under the Adam Scheidt Brewing Company of Norristown, Pennsylvania. Originally marketed as "Rams Head Pale Ale" and promoted with the slogan "The Aristocrat of Ales," the recipe was advertised as following an authentic English stock ale tradition. The name was subsequently streamlined to Rams Head Ale, retaining the classic heraldic imagery across decades of packaging. When C. Schmidt & Sons acquired Scheidt in 1954, they preserved the popular brand, keeping Rams Head Old Stock Ale in active regional distribution for decades.

C. Schmidt & Sons was established in 1860 by German immigrant Christian Schmidt in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The company grew into one of the largest brewing operations in Pennsylvania, navigating Prohibition by producing non-alcoholic cereal beverages and soda. Following Repeal, Schmidt modernized rapidly and embarked on mid-century regional expansion, acquiring several competitors including Adam Scheidt, Rheingold, and Ortlieb. By the mid-20th century, Schmidt ranked among the leading regional brewers in the United States. Faced with intense competition and industry-wide consolidation from massive national brewers, the historic Philadelphia company ultimately ceased operations in 1987.

For collectors of mid-Atlantic breweriana, this can marks an interesting transition point connecting early regional heritage with late-twentieth-century canning methods. It bridges the storied traditions of both the Adam Scheidt and C. Schmidt breweries, while the multi-city mandatory variations from this era offer an engaging focus for collectors exploring the post-merger history of Pennsylvania brewing.