Red Fox Beer Flat Top Can

Chicago's Red Fox Beer Flat Top

The Red Fox Beer flat top can issued by Best Brewing Corporation of Chicago dates from the 1950s, hailing from the post-Internal Revenue Tax Paid canning era. Fabricated as a standard twelve-ounce three-piece soldered steel container, the can stands out for its bold, color-blocked composition. The upper white field features an alert red fox in mid-stride atop an arched accent line, cleanly divided by horizontal banding from a rich crimson base emblazoned with stark white serif lettering.

Originally launched by Connecticut’s Largay Brewing Company following the repeal of Prohibition, the Red Fox brand was marketed on the strength of its sly, distinctive mascot and easy-drinking character. As independent breweries consolidated during the mid-20th century, production rights and brand formulas circulated among various producers. In the Midwest, the name was utilized to deliver an unpretentious, accessible tavern lager tailored for working-class patrons looking for reliable everyday value.

The plant responsible for filling this can was Chicago’s Best Brewing Corporation. The facility's roots trace back to 1891, when the Hasterlik brothers established the enterprise at Fletcher and Herndon Streets on Chicago's North Side. Best survived Prohibition by marketing non-alcoholic cereal beverages and malt extracts, reopening immediately upon Repeal in 1933 as the Best Brewing Company of Chicago. Rechartered as the Best Brewing Corporation in 1951, the plant contended with intense postwar competition from burgeoning national shipping giants. To maintain viable volume, the company relied on private-label packaging and contract brewing alongside their flagship products, producing brands such as Tudor, Keeley, and Red Fox until the brewery closed permanently in 1961.

Within the breweriana community, this can holds enduring appeal. It serves as a classic crossover collectible, eagerly sought after by regional collectors cataloging the vanishing mid-century brewing landscape of Chicago as well as by collectors specializing in wildlife and animal-themed label iconography. Its vibrant color separation and graphic restraint capture the spirited commercial art of an era just before corporate consolidation reshaped American beer packaging.