Utica Club Pilsner Lager Beer 12 Oz Zip/Tab Top Can

Utica Club Pilsner Tab Top Can

Produced by the West End Brewing Company of Utica, New York, this 12-ounce tab top can represents one of the most storied regional breweriana pieces from Upstate New York. Founded in 1888 by German immigrant Francis Xavier Matt, the West End Brewing Company secured an enduring place in brewing history by becoming the first brewery in the nation to receive a license and legally deliver beer immediately upon the repeal of Prohibition in December 1933.

The Utica Club label grew into a household fixture across the Northeast, fueled by the brewery's famous mid-century advertising campaigns featuring the talking beer stein characters Schultz and Dooley. Collectors often seek out cans bearing the classic Utica Club crest and traditional script lettering that defined the brand during this period.

Graphic and structural variations exist across different manufacturing runs of this can. Notable differences include alternate mandatory side-panel texts, seam construction methods such as MiraSeam bonding, and distinct lid impressions stamped onto the pull mechanism. These variations make the label an essential piece for collectors chronicling historic New York state breweries and twentieth-century regional brewing heritage.