Wehle Colonial Ale Quart

Wehle Colonial Ale Quart Overview

The Wehle Colonial Ale Quart is a distinguished piece of New England brewing history, produced by the Wehle Brewing Company in West Haven, Connecticut. Following the repeal of Prohibition, the Wehle family took over the former Wiedemann brewing plant along Campbell Avenue, turning out a variety of ales and lagers under the Wehle moniker before halting operations during the World War II era.

Among the company's packaged lineup, the 32-ounce Colonial Ale can remains an iconic large-format offering. The container features the classic American Can Company "Keglined" quart profile and carries the era's standard Internal Revenue Tax Paid (IRTP) statement. Its design highlights bold, traditional typography alongside Colonial branding elements that catered to regional tastes throughout Connecticut and neighboring northeastern markets.

For breweriana collectors, quart-sized cans from regional East Coast breweries represent a distinct category. During this era, breweries filled significantly fewer 32-ounce cans compared to standard 12-ounce containers, making surviving quart examples from smaller operations notably elusive. Several variations are known to exist across production runs, primarily characterized by subtle differences in mandatory text formatting, panel text positioning, and whether the volume statement lettering is outlined or solid. Because of its regional provenance and impressive shelf presence, the Wehle Colonial Ale Quart stands as a premier centerpiece in collections centered on Connecticut breweries and pre-war American breweriana.