BY: MATT ZALOGA
The stigma of canned beer is a thing of the past… Or at least it should be! There are still people that expect that tinny, aluminum dosed flavor of the beer cans of yore. However, technology with the liners in cans has now created a vessel that is light, easily transported, and super protective of the liquid that is inside. With summer rapidly approaching, cans will become a much needed way to consume beer! Here is why you should not be afraid of beer in a can:
Cans protect from the external elements
Beer, like other consumables, starts to degrade as soon as fermentation has completed and it is packaged. Air begins to start the oxidation process and the blue wavelengths from from light can cause the liquid to become lightstruck (the fancy way to say “skunked”). While most breweries use brown bottles to limit exposure to blue wavelength light and caps that limit the amount of oxygen that can reach the beer inside, that is no match for a can! Cans allow literally zero light and oxygen exposure, therefore, as long as consumed within a reasonable amount of time after canning, it is as fresh as you can get a beer without drinking from the bright tank.
Cans are light and portable
Cans are allowed in many places that glass is not. Campgrounds, music festivals, patios, pools, the track in Saratoga, all of these places are can friendly. Who wants to carry a cooler full of glass bottles into a camp, when you can have the same quality liquid in a much lighter vessel? Also, when traveling by air, if you want to come home with some brews that you can’t find at your local store, cans are much less likely to break when put into checked luggage!
Cans are more convenient than bottles
You may ask why cans are more convenient. Let’s say you have people coming over for a barbecue and you didn’t have the fridge space to chill down the night’s libations. If you throw your beer on ice, canned offerings will cool down to proper drinking temperature much quicker than their glass counterparts. The thinner walls of the can allows the beer to be exposed to the cold much faster, therefore allowing you to open your first beer faster! Also, no special opener is needed to pry open the cap of a can. Just pull the tab up, and you’re ready to drink.
Learn to love the can!
This summer, and really any time of year, learn to love beer in a can. It’s not only about convenience, but also about quality. There is a reason that many of your favorite breweries are either switching to or offering canned options of their beers. Crack open a can and enjoy!
Some cans to look out for this summer:
Long Trail Green Blaze IPA
Harpoon UFO Big Squeeze Grapefruit Shandy
Brown’s Burst Valencia Orange IPA (coming soon!)
Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin IPA
Saranac Cold Brew Coffee Lager (coming soon!)
Sierra Nevada Otra Vez Gose
To read More click on Got Beer.com
Matt Zaloga (aka Bow Tie Matt or Matty) is a man who is after the epitome of sensory experiences. Whether it be tasting the latest and greatest beer, testing out a new culinary experience or checking out a new band, his search for anything to excite and mystify his senses is never ending. Matt is as comfortable at home in the kitchen as he is out on the street, ensuring the public is well stocked with finely brewed liquid. You can find him wherever there is good food, tunes, and of course, great beer! Just look for the bow tie!