The trend is unmistakable, even for someone as thick as I am. Cans are in, big time.
Beer cans, of course, have been around for decades. But for most of that time, they have been the sole domain of mainstream lager and discount beer. Craft wouldn’t be caught dead in a can. Not so much anymore.
The trend, as these things do, started down in the U.S. a number of years ago, and we have seen a slowly growing number of breweries who supplemented their bottle production with cans (Yukon, Phillip’s, Big Rock to name just three). This I – and likely you – have known for a while.
What has come up and smacked me in the face during the past few months is the swift onslaught of can-only breweries. I have spoken to, and written about, many of the new start-ups on the prairies over the past few months. Of those who will package, every one – every SINGLE one – indicates they will be packaging in cans. Not both, only cans (except for bombers and growlers).
It has become so obvious, it sparked me to formalize my thoughts on the matter. I did my CBC Radio column on the topic a few weeks ago (they never post it online anymore, I am afraid). In that column we sampled a can and a bottle of Yukon Red on air to see if we could detect any flavour differences. The main answer is no. I found some subtle differences – the can seemed slightly fuller bodied and sweeter – but it is not possible to isolate that finding to the packaging.
This past week, my latest Beer 101 column focused on the topic. You can read it here. I do my best to offer an objective analysis of the positions on the issue and discuss both why I think the shift is happening and what it might mean.
Why is rather straightforward. The costs of canning have dropped significantly and new breweries have decided cans are what customers are looking for these days. Plus there is an increasing suspicion about getting looped into the Industry Standard bottle pool (which is controlled by the big three), despite its obvious environmental advantages (I lay those out in the column, so click on the link if you want to read more about that).
What it means is harder. While I see advantages to cans, such as their light weight, break resistance and complete impermeability to light, I also see big downsides – including their single-use status, their plastic lining and the lower recycling rate.
Lots of people I talk to tell me cans are the future of craft beer. That may be. But the old traditionalist in me isn’t happy about it. I like the aesthetic of a bottle – be it industry standard or a custom design. I like the substance in the grip. I even like the clank-clank of the bottles as you transport them. I find I resent the pile of empty cans, while I have no trouble with the stack of six-packs waiting to be recycled. (Of course, keep in mind I am also the guy who continues to have a love affair with the stubby.)
It may just be me – yet another example of how I am old before my time. But if, indeed, cans eventually take over the craft beer world (and I don’t think they will, craft always has room for diversity) I think we will be a little bit poorer for it. Of course, as long as the beer inside is high quality, I suspect I will eventually get over it. But you are going to have to give me a little while to do so.
What do others think? Are cans preferable? I am truly curious.
August 21, 2015 at 12:44 PM
Given a choice of a can or a bottle of the same beer I would always choose a can.
August 21, 2015 at 9:51 PM
nobody buys a reusable water bottle if it will leach anything into your water anymore… why accept this in beer? it’s growing popularity is because it’s cheaper for the producer. and the producers are convincing the consumer that it’s better for the beer.
I’m with you Mr. Foster, I know what’s coming, and I don’t like it. environmental reasons drive craft growth (drinking local).. cans are a step backwards.
August 30, 2015 at 8:59 AM
RE: bpa in liners
http://www.newbelgium.com/Community/Blog/08-06-19/Speaking-of-CANS.aspx
August 21, 2015 at 11:15 PM
For the beer drinker in me it doesn’t matter most of the time, as 98% of the time I’ve poured it into a glass, so I don’t particularly care what vessel it came out of. 2% of the time I’m drinking out of a can on the sidelines at our soccer games, so I like that there are good beers available in a can for those situations.
For the homebrewer in me, I prefer a beer to come in a bomber size bottle with a normal opening, so I can re-use the bottle later for my own beer. 🙂
August 24, 2015 at 9:39 AM
I’m with Ernie on this one. I am sympathetic to the environmental argument but, as I see another truck-nutz bearing pick-up roar by, I think the carbon footprint of beer is probably not our biggest worry.
August 23, 2015 at 9:07 AM
Can creep only has one inevitable outcome: a future without beer in bottles. Cans everywhere with nought a bit of sparkling brown glass to be found… except in antique stores and on Kijijijiji where collectors can find some of the precious few ancient beer bottles that were saved from the recycling furnaces. We already feel the loss of the stubby, and even the coke bottle… I think the eventual oss of beer bottles would cut deeper.