Van Merritt Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Old Crown Van Merritt Tab Top

The Van Merritt Beer 12 oz tab top can represents a notable chapter in the history of Midwestern brewing, produced by the Old Crown Brewing Corporation of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Originally established in 1862 as the French Brewery by Charles L. Centlivre, the historic facility operated under the Centlivre family for generations before adopting the Old Crown name. During its later years of operation, Old Crown diversified its packaging lineup by acquiring and contract brewing several regional and heritage labels, including Alps Brau, Old German, and Van Merritt.

Van Merritt was famously marketed with the longstanding tagline "The World's Most Honored Beer," reflecting a formula originally adapted from European brewing traditions. The can design mirrors this prestige-focused branding, featuring ornate typography and classical crest motifs set against a clean backdrop.

For breweriana collectors, the Fort Wayne Old Crown canning run holds special interest due to regional distribution and manufacturing details. The can is known to exist with subtle seam variations, including examples produced with glued seams alongside conventional manufacturing techniques. Collectors also track text variations in the side-panel mandatory information and brewery attribution statements.

When Old Crown ceased brewing operations in Fort Wayne in late 1973, rights to the Van Merritt name shifted to Chicago's Peter Hand Brewing Company. Because subsequent issues carry the Chicago address, cans bearing the Old Crown Brewing Corporation Fort Wayne mandatory panel remain prized artifacts capturing the final era of Fort Wayne's longest-running brewing institution.