The beer world has always discussed the validity of cans vs bottles. I must admit that I am guilty of being a bottle snob; albeit, the more I think about it I have almost no reason to be. Earlier today I read an article by Fast Company about craft brewers and how many are adding cans to their product lines. Most of them are doing this for the sake of lowering cost and improving environmental sustainability. This should come as no surprise given those are two of the biggest concerns for companies these days, further proven by the Huffingon Post article about the 8 ‘greenest’ breweries in the US.

Although I care about the environment, that aspect of the can topic has been covered by the other websites. What the other articles didn’t do was discuss the flavor aspects of bottles vs cans in any depth, which in turn reminded me of the great wine world debate of Corks vs Screw tops. Much like with cans, screw tops offer better flavor protection then their more traditional rivals, but due to perception are considered a sign of cheap inferior wine.

The problem with corks is the potential for cork taint and the ever growing cost of obtaining cork. Cork taint, for the sake of a simple explanation, is when the cork alters the flavor of the wine. This is also one of a couple reasons wine is stored on its side, keeping the cork wet to prevent rotting. Because of this many wine makers have switched to screw tops despite the fact that they have been associated with inferior wines. Some see it as a trend that will continue to grow until the cork is extinct from the wine world; Others see it as sacrilege, and refuse to give up the experience of popping a cork on a bottle of wine.

Bottles much like corks have the ability to alter the taste of beer. This happens because when light hits beer it causes a reaction that produces a skunky flavor. Many of the well known imports are actually known for this attribute. For example Corona has an especially high chance of containing skunk because of its clear bottle. Cans on the other hand have no issues with altering the taste of beer due to a water-based epoxy that keeps the beer and aluminum from touching. Add to this the obvious fact that aluminum does not allow light to touch the beer and you have a very capable beer transportation vessel. If you doubt me, try tasting both a Heineken bottle and a Heineken keg can side-by-side; you will notice a difference without question. Also note this may be the only time I ever recommend drinking a Heineken.

Of course there is something to be said for tradition and how the entire experience of drinking beer feels. Just like some wine guys wish not to unscrew a top instead of pop a cork, us beer folk are far more fond of using a bottle opener then popping a tab. I find I’m a bottle snob because the aesthetics of the bottle, along with how it feels in your hand, are much more pleasing. The only time when I consciously purchase cans is when I am going to the beach or another place that requires ease of transport. Of course this might change the more chance I have to purchase craft beer in can form. Locally Granville Island Brewing has been selling cans alongside bottles for a while now, along with other breweries like Tree and Russell. I don’t think we’ll ever see the full transition to cans over bottles, however as time goes on we may just see more and more of our favorites being poured into a glass out of a tin instead of bottle.

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