5. Cans are Eco Friendly
Cans, in the long run, leave a much smaller footprint on the environment. Although the initial environmental cost of mining the materials needed to produce cans (bauxite) is larger than glass (silica based), cans create a distinct advantage through recycling. A can contains on average 40% recycled aluminum whereas a bottle contains less than 27% reused glass. Cans also weigh significantly less and can be packed tighter than bottles. This means far fewer greenhouse emissions throughout the entire shipping process.
4. Practicality
Besides being better for the environment, cans just make drinking easier in almost every regard. Did you know most beaches allow alcohol but not GLASS? This goes for parks too. So cans can be enjoyed in more places! Warm beer? Better hope it’s in a can. Aluminum is a conductor and will transfer the heat away from your beer much faster than a bottle, especially when ice water is the medium. Cans are also much easier to pack and store allowing for more space for your lunch (or more beer…. probably more beer). Guess what, it’s easier to drink out of a can too. No bottle opener? No freaking problem!
3. Cans are way more fun than bottles
2. Price
We already mentioned the weight of cans vs. bottles and that they take up less space. When it comes to shipping the finished product out, it simply costs less because you can ship the same volume of liquid in fewer trips at a lower weight. As more breweries start using in-house canning lines and the volume on canned products goes up you will see a definite price gap develop.
1. Taste, Quality and Freshness
Now on to the most important benefit, quality. Despite what many people believe, beer out of the can does not taste different than beer out of the bottle. It’s all about misconceptions. Cans are coated with the same stuff bottles are to avoid any corrosion. So your beer actually does not even touch the metal at a molecular level. Some would say beer is ACTUALLY BETTER out of the can, myself included. I can see the snobs and past light lager drinkers rolling their eyes. Well its better and here’s why.
You know that large metallic opening? It actually lets you smell more of the beer before you drink it, and we all know as beer drinkers, smell contributes a lot to taste. Your beer is also fresher out of the can. Light and oxygen are beer’s worst and mortal enemies. The can, for obvious reasons, protects the beer from light completely. The double-crimped seal used on cans is also much more reliable than bottles, especially for those who cellar their beer. On the whole if your beer is in a can you are going to get a bolder hop profile and it will last longer than the same liquid in a bottle.