Mass & Conn

 

Connecticut: top row, top two cans on right. Hull's-I couldn't think of a better way or place to start this site than here. Which is more American: Apple Pie or Beer? Consider this, one of the main reason the Puritans landed at Plymouth Rock was because their ship "The Mayflower" supply beer was running low. Look it up for yourself! Hull's, located in New Haven was doing well in 1970 when they picked up the Holihan's label from the nearby Diamond Spring Brewery in Lawrence, Mass. 

 

The 1973 Arab oil embargo hit the Hull's Brewing Company especially hard - prices of ingredients rose significantly, inflation spiraled upward, management of resources became more and more difficult causing their demise in 1977. They were the very last of the many great New England Breweries to close. 

"Hull's ... Satisfies Them All"

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

All other cans are from Mass.

 

The State of Massachusetts issued Permit Numbers (M1, M2, etc) in chronological order to breweries which were required to be shown in the can's mandatories. 

 

Top Row: Lawrence (M5) Diamond Spring Brewing Company produced the three Holihan's cans on the left. Diamond Spring closed in 1970. The Holihan's on the right from this Brewery is much tougher than the one from Conn.

Holihans "Pleasure is what you pour!" 

                 "Brewed with Pure Spring Water"

 

Second Row: Fall River (M14) Enterprise Brewing produced this Boh Zip before closing in 1963. Although rare as a zip, the Unlimited Book does show the can as being Self Opening.  Adolph Haffenreffer was in upper management at Fall River and his Haffenreffer cousins at Narragansett (Cranston, RI), bought the rights to the Boh label and produced a nearly identical can at their brewery. 

 

                        Boston (M1) Haffernreffer Brewing bought out the Boston Brewing Company in 1957, they produced the blue Haffernreffer , The Haffernreffer Draught and the Pickwick Ale before closing in 1964. They sold the rights to their brands to their Haffernreffer cousins who owned and operated the Narragansett Brewing Company in Cranston, Rhode Island.

 

                         Natick (M3) Carling Brewing Company (Cleveland Ohio) built this facility in 1956. The Carling Empire had nine plants nationwide at one point but the green Heidelberg and the rare green test Red Cap Ale can shown here are the only two cans they produced in green. It could be a coincidence but I suspect they were made to appeal to the heavily populated Irish segment in the local area - coming from the Emerald Isle. This facility closed in 1975.

 

Third Row: New Bedford (M9) Dawson/Rheingold-Forest    The six cans on this row are all from this facility. Dawson produced the Diamond Ale and the Gold Crown Beer until 1967 when the site (facility and buildings) were sold to Rheingold (Malta)/Forest (3 Gablinger). The Dawson labels were sold at the same time in 1967 to Piel Brothers Brewing in Williamsett.

"Time out for Dawson"

 

Fourth Row:  Williamsett (M4)   In December 1956 Hampden Brewing buys out Harvard Brewing (Lowell, Mass) and renames itself Hamden Harvard Brewing. Hamden Harvard Brewing sells to Drewerys in 1961. In 1962 Drewerys buys Fitzgerald Brothers Brewing (Troy, New York) and relocates their labels and equipment to the Hamden Harvard Brewing plant in Williamsett. Also in 1962 Drewerys buys out Piel Brothers (Brooklyn and Staten Island). In 1967 Piels purchases the Dawson (New Bedford) labels. The Hampden Beer (aluminum only) and Hampden Ale (in both aluminum and steel shown here- rare, 4 known and unpictured in the books). The Hedrick (from Albany, New York) and three Piels cans were all made in Williamsett. The green Piels Ale was only produced here. The brewery closed in 1975.

 

 Pickwick Ale "The Tang Of Good Old Ale"

 

                                                                      "Tip a Topper"

 

         

 

​

​