White Horse Pilsener Beer Flat Top Can

Chicago's Classic White Horse

The White Horse Pilsener Beer flat top container was produced by the Manhattan Brewing Company of Chicago, Illinois. Manhattan Brewing Company, an operation with deep roots on Chicago's South Side and well-documented ties to the city's colorful post-Prohibition history, utilized American Can Company's "Keglined" technology to market an array of memorable brands.

The label design is recognized for its bold aesthetic, highlighted by an illustration of a rearing white stallion set against a high-contrast backdrop with crisp typography. The can also incorporates an instructional side panel, reflecting an early phase in canned beverage packaging.

Throughout its history, Manhattan Brewing Company frequently packaged labels under different trade names and subsidiary designations, including the Westminster Brewing Company. As a result of these corporate arrangements and shifting regulatory requirements, variations of the White Horse label exist. These variants primarily differ in their side-panel mandatory text, patent notations, and specific brewery attribution statements.

Today, the White Horse Pilsener flat top stands as a celebrated artifact of Chicago breweriana, holding significant esteem among collectors of pre-war packaging and historic Midwest brewing heritage.