Stoney's Pilsener Beer 12 Oz Zip Top Can

Mid-Century Stoney's Pilsener Can

This straight steel twelve-ounce can dates to the 1960s zip top era, featuring a bold split-field design. The left side showcases a large, stylized yellow "S" against a vivid orange-red background, contrasted by a crisp white field on the right. Above the central black brand banner stands the cheerful illustrated figure of "Mr. Smoothie," a mustachioed character dressed in a yellow tuxedo vest and bow tie gesturing upward. The lower portion carries the "Pilsener BEER" designation in script and block typography, with the bottom rim line identifying the Jones Brewing Company of Smithton, Pennsylvania.

Stoney's beer traces its lineage back to founder William Benjamin "Stoney" Jones. Initially sold under the Eureka Gold Crown label, patrons across southwestern Pennsylvania took to asking bartenders directly for "Stoney's". When national Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the brewery formally embraced the customer-favorite nickname as the official brand name for its flagship pilsener. In 1960, the company rolled out Mr. Smoothie across print, point-of-sale, and packaging campaigns, cementing the dapper gentleman as a recognizable regional icon.

Jones Brewing Company was established in 1907 when Jones took over brewing operations and relocated them to the borough of Smithton along the Youghiogheny River. The plant weathered Prohibition through diversified products and local bootlegging before returning as Jones Brewing Company in 1933. Deeply rooted in its small-town community—and widely known as the family business that raised Academy Award-winning actress Shirley Jones, Stoney's granddaughter—the brewery managed to stay fiercely independent for decades while larger national conglomerates absorbed regional competition.

For breweriana collectors, mid-century steel cans from independent Pennsylvania breweries represent an essential chapter of regional brewing history. The vibrant color blocking and introduction of the Mr. Smoothie mascot capture the transition of 1960s graphic styling and canning innovations, making this zip top can a prized artifact of Keystone State advertising art.