Cans are certainly more convenient to transport (especially in my bike bag) and store. But I miss the old days when tiny craft breweries bottled their beer, sometimes by hand, just to get it out. I'm thinking of The Kernel in London (which noted the hops used in the batch on the label) back in the day, or Elk Creek Pub in central PA (Millheim), the latter during Covid when the bar/restaurant was closed. The Elk Creek brewing apparatus was so small it was in a kind of closet behind the restaurant--but the beer was great. For me the bottle is redolent not only of delicious beer but of tiny outfits that can't even afford a bottle machine, let alone a canning line.
Have really taken note of this in the last year. Not sure if it’s due to recent changes in some glass/bottle production, or I’ve become even more discerning. Compounding the issue, the shelving at my TW stores has lighting just above the top shelf. So all “top shelf” beers get a continuous shot of direct light and heat. Fortunately, that’s less of an issue during Festbier season, when there are usually sealed cases on the floor to access. Otherwise, it’s pull from the back of the shelf (and hope the older stock isn’t back there).
Never noticed it in the 2024 season and only noticed it toward the end of 2025 -- when the beer had been sitting out in the big display area for a few months.
I prefer bottles but at the end of the day I just love beer so it's in my best interest to not get too choosy re can vs bottle format.
When I inherited my beer walls, it was exclusively cans. I've reintroduced bottled beers on the bottom of the cold wall, and the top of the dry wall - a mixture of Euro imports, and more affordable/slightly more conventional domestic options. Bottles are what I grew up with, and I think it looks a little classier than the cans. Although with today's brewery aesthetics, I think the cans generally look really good too. I do have a fair bit of Euro imports in cans, too, though. And people go for them just the same. But I'm glad I get to carry stuff like Urquell, Trumer, Ayinger, et cetera in bottles.
What in the world are you doing to your canned beers that they're exploding that often? Are they sliding all around in your car on the way home from the store? But crown caps don't protect the beer from oxidation as well as cans While I agree certain beers are meant to be in a bottle like Wild Ales and Imperial Stouts, I wholeheartedly disagree that all beer is meant to be in a bottle. Bottles are heavier and break more easily when dropped. Bottle caps are annoying as they require a tool of some sort to open and there's that little bit of extra waste to deal with. Cans get colder faster and store more easily. Aluminum is significantly easier and more efficient to recycle than glass. In my eyes, cans are the superior vessel for most styles of beer
OK I know what's happening there and it pisses me off too. What they're doing is getting their fill maximized to the point that there's little to no D.O. (Dissolved Oxygen). But that means that the less headspace inside the can, the more possiibility the beer ends up all over the top of the can, on your hand or on the floor. New Origin (now closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene) used to be the most notorious for this. It's especially annoying when it's a sugary pastry stout that ends up splattered on the kitchen counter. Luckily I don't come across it too often otherwise anymore. So blame the brewer, not the can
You’re correct with the crown cap, but I’d rather deal with oxidation than with partially dissolved can liners. To be fair, if you drop a full can on the ground it’s just as likely to pop and spray all over as if you dropped a glass bottle. At least there’d be no glass shards with the can. Also recycling is non-factor for me. That’s something for you city-folk. There hasn’t been any recycling services in my area for over ten years, and when it was available they didn’t offer curbside pickup. Thanks for explaining the reasons behind my problem. Had no idea what was causing the issue, but your idea certainly makes sense. Cheers
It's likely a nostalgia factor but I still prefer Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Torpedo Extra IPA in bottles (always from the cooler with a bottled on date check). Thinking more deeply about what I buy and in what format, I also prefer North Coast's Scrimshaw Pilsner in bottles as the canned version is (or at least was last time I checked, brewed in San Jose). I have no issue with cans in general.
from Beer Marketer's Insights (free) Weekly Digest Vol 7 No 11 Cans are 78% of BA Craft Vol in 2025 NIQ; Midwest & South Under-Index; 24pks the Only Growth Pack Mar 10 (2026)- BA-defined indie craft brewers are even more reliant on aluminum can packages in tracked retail channels than total craft including big brewer entries, latest Brewers Assn blog post from chief economist Matt Gacioch shows. Cans reached 78 share of BA craft volume in 2025, over 2 pts ahead of NIQ-defined craft. Regardless of how you define the segment, cans continued to gobble up share of segment last yr. Tho Matt points out that “share growth is slowing,” wondering if “the industry may be close to a current steady state where four of five packaged craft beer beers are canned.” There’s “significant” variation by state with much of the Midwest and parts of the south under indexing natl avg by 10 to 20 pts. BA craft cans at just 56 share in MS, 58 share in KS and LA, 59 share in NE, 65 share in North & South Dakota plus WI, and 66-68 share in TX, NV and OK.
