Every year I see more and more beer coming in cans. About 2 years ago I wrote about good beer coming in cans and how excited I was about this. At that point it was mainly Oskar Blues from CO spearheading the craft can movement. 21st Amendment from CA was another early adapter and has been doing well on the shelves since. Today there is much more and the selection keeps growing.
Beer in cans is awesome. Cans protect beer from light absolutely, and with light being beer’s worst enemy this is a nice feature. Cans cool down quickly, pack well, crush well, and are just so convenient. Cans travel and store better than bottles. Consider the quality we enjoy out of kegs… just a giant can.
My friend Matt at Craft Beer Social likes to talk about the craft beer culture being outdoorsy and adventurous. He loves that craft beer is such a social thing (I do too) and I think that good beer in cans really fits right into this. What better way to cap-off (no pun intended) a great day outdoors than by sharing a beer with your friends?
For many beer lovers a day spent working in the yard or hiking a trail is rewarded with a beer. It is an added benefit that if this beer is in a can it won’t break falling out of the cup holder on your mower or tucked away in your pack. It is also light weight and easy to clean up.
Back to the quality for a minute… I can hear purists muttering about drinking out of a can. Before I qualify this grievance I’ll just point out that modern can lining is of superior quality and effectively protects you from that metallic taste. At any rate, it is true that beer should be poured into a glass whenever possible. This is true whether the beer originates in a bottle or a can. I can concede that drinking beer directly from a can is an argument against canned beer. My opinion, however, is that in situations where a proper glass is not an option, i.e. the lunch rocks at Tuckerman Ravine, it is well worth the trade off.
Cans offer exceptional quality for beer consumers, regardless of how or where you drink your beer. It is the fundamental preservation of the nectar that is, after all, the most important thing here. Beyond that is the joyful benefit of bringing your beloved craft beer to wherever it is you like to go with your friends.
Great post! I love cans.
As much as I dislike the beer it comes in, I think the re-sealable can both Miller and Coors are using is the packaging of the future. Best of both worlds.
Jim
Really, Tim, “…cup holder on your mower”? What about “please mow responsibly”?
Otherwise, your points are well taken, although you forgot Beer Can Chicken…
Steve
Beer Can Chicken is quite a treat, thanks! Perhaps I’ll fire one of those up this weekend after I finish a “responsible” mowing session. By responsible I, of course, mean that I won’t be spilling any beer as I mow!
The most interesting part of the canning of craft beer to me is the future of “can conditioned” beer.
Interesting indeed! In all my excitement about cans I haven’t really thought much about how “bottle conditioning” translates. I imagine that, if it hasn’t been already, it will be worked out pretty quickly. Perhaps the most famous bottle conditioned beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. How much longer can it be before we see that beer in cans?
Sierra Nevada is releasing cans next week and they will be “can conditioned” to be exactly the same as their bottles. I can’t wait to see how these do.
we should all agree on one thing….our love of beer