For a very long time, consumers bought their beer in bottles. Cans were mostly made by “cheaper” brands. But times have changed! More and more breweries are switching to aluminium cans. While in the past they were mainly used for Pilsners and Lagers, any kind of beer can be found in cans nowadays. Let’s see what the benefits are.
Cans keep out light completely
When beer is exposed to light for extended periods, it may lead to oxidization and an unpleasant flavor in beer. Brown bottles are better at keeping light out than green or transparent bottles, but cans are better overall. This results in more fresh and flavourful beers for longer period of time. That is why you hardly see any IPA in a bottle.
Easier to transport
Beer cans are lighter and more compact. You can transport more beer on one pallet, making it cheaper and more efficient to ship. This is also better for the environment, bringing us to the next advantage.
Cans are recycled better
Aluminium is the most recyclable material on the planet. While only 26.4% of recycled glass actually gets reused, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reports that 54.9% of all aluminium cans get repurposed successfully after recycling. And that was in 2020, before many countries introduced a deposit on cans, so that number will only rise.
Cans don’t impact beer flavour
Many people believe beer tastes better from a bottle. Blind tasting tests showed that there is no difference between the flavours of bottled and canned beer. All cans are lined with a polymer coating that protects the beer. This means that the beer itself doesn’t actually come in contact with the aluminium.