16oz Conspiracy

Bud Light comes in 16 oz cans...

But I do get your point about there being some fine offerings in that format. I wouldn't go as far to say that it's mutually exclusive that if a beer comes in a 16 ounce it must be great.

 

No conspiracy. Straight forward marketing decision.

If you are going to experiment with a new container size you pick a beer that you already know is a seller and test that format out first with that beer.

 

http://www.craftcans.com/why-the-16-oz-pint-can-is-the-craft-beer-container-of-today-and-tomorrow

Found this from 2010.

 

Pizza Port Chronic is pretty awful.

 

You can get Hamms in 16oz cans, 4pk for $4. Some local brewers that are less than stellar use 16 ouncers.

 

^ from the land of sky blue waters.

 

It’s a new format for craft beer. 10 years ago, before Oscar Blues started canning, you couldn't find craft beer in cans at all. Combination of things like cost and size of investment (gotta buy thousands and thousands of cans in one order).

All those early cans were 12 oz. 16 is relatively new and from what I've seen mostly coming from well established breweries and as you pointed mostly being used for beers with good reputation, etc.

BTW: If you don't see it as a conspiracy might be good to not use that word as it does have negative connotations.

 

I agree, not sure why they chose to can it when Pizza Port has so many other great beers. But Swami's and Ponto S.I.P.A. make up for it in my opinion.

 

I can drink Pizza Port Swami's for days on end. Sadly we don't can nearly enough beers out here in California, its the exception more than the rule.

 

I was pretty disappointed by Molotov Lite, but may have gotten a bad batch. Tasted like straight up hop-flavored yogurt.

 

They should can Barney. That is one awesome DIPA.

 

I concur. I've heard such good things but the flavor and aroma were so weird for me. Like a dank hoppy yogurt.

 

From the article linked above:

"Craft beer has never been cheap. Six-packs have been climbing in price for years and now with some six-packs hitting the upper teens in price it is just getting ridiculous. Brewers have started putting bottles in four-packs to lower the price tags but you, the beer drinker, are still only getting 12 oz. bottles. Now, with 16 oz. cans, the four pack provides you with an additional 16 oz. of beer at a price that is comparable."

I think this is the answer - the 16oz format satisfies the consumer's wants (more beer, less expensive) while limiting the overhead a brewery spends on packaging extra cans.

 

I've had more than one poorly-made contract beer that came out of Two Roads- Molotov Lite was one, and Sip of Sunshine was another. It's diacetyl (buttery), and it's a brewing flaw (and it ruined both of those beers). This is something that is easily avoidable, too; so they are totally on my shit list, and I have zero interest in drinking anything that they brew ever again. YMMV.

 

two hearted. YUMM

 

4 x 16oz of Torpedo, for $7.99
yeah!!

 

I'm guessing it comes down to economics. A 6 pack of 12 ounce bottles is 72 ounces. A four pack of 16 ounce cans is 64 ounces. If you can justify the same sales price per unit the 4 pack can model seems better.