Red Fox Ale Cone Top Can

Red Fox Ale Low Cone Top Can

This twelve-ounce low profile cone top can represents an early packaging format used by the Largay Brewing Company. Constructed with a soldered side seam and a tapered cone spout sealed with a crown cap, the container bears the mandatory Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement on its label. The central artwork highlights the brand's distinguished mascot: an anthropomorphic red fox dressed in a tailored red coat with brass buttons, blue breeches, and a white collar, striding purposefully while balancing a serving tray with two freshly poured glasses of ale.

Red Fox Ale debuted in May 1933 following the legalization of 3.2% beer, quickly becoming one of the most recognizable regional ale brands across Connecticut and southern New England. Marketed as a traditional, flavorful ale, the brand received widespread acclaim at trade events like the 1934 Connecticut Beer Show in Hartford. The well-dressed fox illustration became the cornerstone of the brand's visual identity, appearing consistently across cans, bottles, and tavern serving trays. After Largay's brewery ceased operations, the Red Fox label was acquired by the Jacob Ruppert Brewery, which continued marketing the brand into the 1950s.

The Largay Brewing Company was established in 1933 by George Largay, who acquired and renovated the historic Hellmann Brewing Company facility on Bank Street in Waterbury, Connecticut. As Waterbury's primary post-Prohibition brewing operation, Largay built a dedicated local following throughout the 1930s and the World War II era. However, intensifying market pressure from larger national shipping breweries, rising ingredient costs, and post-war industry consolidation ultimately forced the company to permanently close its doors in 1947.

For vintage beer can enthusiasts, low cone tops from defunct New England regional breweries hold considerable historical significance. Cans featuring vivid character illustrations and early tax-paid mandatory statements remain especially popular among collectors of mid-century breweriana.