Canned Craft Beer

More On New Belgium Shift Lager Cans

I knew the Coloradoan would be mentioning this today.  As you see from the sexy artwork above that New Belgium’s newest – Shift Pale Lager will come in tallboys when the brewery finishes the canning line installation.  That will bring Continue Reading →

New Cans: Goose Island 312 Wheat

Goose Island’s 312 Urban Wheat (Chi-town area code) is headed for cans in the future.    This American pale wheat ale is brewed every month except January.  The is the first cans to emerge from Goose Island.  As you might Continue Reading →

Cans Likely For SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater Brewing (Atlanta, GA) is under going a pretty big expansion.  The build will push their capacity to 400,000 barrels.  BSJ got to tour the new facility last week.  We’ve all been thinking it, so I asked The Big Kahuna, Continue Reading →

Sixpoint Diesel Now In Cans

Sixpoint (Brooklyn, NY) Diesel, the followup to Autumnation is shipping today.

It’s our second seasonal can release of the year, followed by the inaugural Autumnation for fall. As the leaves fade to black, you’ll be able to find four-packs Continue Reading →

Sixpoint Bengali Tiger

Sixpoint (Brooklyn, NY) Bengali Tiger.

The Sixpoint homebrewed IPA interpretation. Blaze orange in color, with an abundance of citrus hop bitterness, and a full pine and grapefruit bouquet in the aroma.

Style: IPA
Availability: 16 oz cans. Year round availability

6.2% ABV, 62 IBUS

 

Posted in Coming Soon, New Belgium

More On New Belgium Shift Lager Cans

I knew the Coloradoan would be mentioning this today.  As you see from the sexy artwork above that New Belgium’s newest – Shift Pale Lager will come in tallboys when the brewery finishes the canning line installation.  That will bring you 3 tallboy offerings – Fat Tire (touted as sweeter in the can), Ranger IPA, and Shift.  Also, I was informed at the brewery that the new canning line will bring canned offering to accounts that don’t have have them already. RE: Southeast.

The second beer is a pale lager called Shift, and is named after the brewery’s free beer after each shift policy for employees and the brewery’s transitional period. Shift will only be released in the brewery’s new 16-ounce cans that are come off the new canning line under construction. The Shift can logo has a silver bicycle chain and gears on it.

The beer is still in development and Simpson said the release date will hinge on when the canning line is completed.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Coming Soon, Goose Island Brewing

New Cans: Goose Island 312 Wheat

Goose Island 312 CansGoose Island’s 312 Urban Wheat (Chi-town area code) is headed for cans in the future.    This American pale wheat ale is brewed every month except January.  The is the first cans to emerge from Goose Island.  As you might have assumed, the cans will come out of the Anheuser-Busch plant in Baldwinsville, New York.

Inspired by the city of Chicago and densely populated with flavor, 312’s spicy aroma of Cascade hops is followed by a crisp, fruity ale flavor delivered in a smooth, creamy body that’s immensely refreshing.

Style: American Pale Wheat Hops: Liberty, Palisade
Malts: Two Row, Torrified Wheat

Availability: 12oz bottles, 12oz Cans, Draft
Arrival: 2012

4.2% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Brewery Expansions, Coming Soon, SweetWater Brewing

Cans Likely For SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater Brewing (Atlanta, GA) is under going a pretty big expansion.  The build will push their capacity to 400,000 barrels.  BSJ got to tour the new facility last week.  We’ve all been thinking it, so I asked The Big Kahuna, Freddy Bensch  “Are you going to can?”  His answer -“We’ve built in space in the new building for a canning line, so.. Yes.”

This is awesome news of course.  I made the mistake of thinking that 420 Pale would be the first to find an aluminum home.  I was wrong.  Freddy’s leaning towards IPA to kick off the canning line.  Trust me, I’m ok with that.  As exciting news as this is however, the timeline for SweetWater cans might not be until after Summer, 2012.  Fingers crossed I can crack a can of SweetWater at the pool soon.

Other improvements: 

Bottle conditioning: The brewery will start bottling condition soon (less O2. Fresher beer, better shelf life.)
Capacity:  SW currently brews about 77,000 barrels a year.  After – 400,000
New Office Space
New Event Space, separate from tasting room
New Rooftop Patio
Bigger Gift Shop

The brewery has no immediate plans to expand into new markets after the expansion. (But it’s not off the table of course.)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Sixpoint Craft Ales

Sixpoint Diesel Now In Cans

Sixpoint (Brooklyn, NY) Diesel, the followup to Autumnation is shipping today.

It’s our second seasonal can release of the year, followed by the inaugural Autumnation for fall. As the leaves fade to black, you’ll be able to find four-packs of these 16-oz cans in grocery stores, delis, bars and restaurants in all markets where Sixpoint cans are sold. But we don’t intend to stop filling kegs of it this winter, either – soon, you’ll be able to score a pint of it on draft as well.

Diesel stout has actually been offered each winter since 2005, the year after Sixpoint was founded. Rich, robust and deep brown-black, this beer will linger in your mouth like a streak of tar. Yet it’s surprisingly sessionable and effervescent, too. It starts with nutty roasted malts, which get combined with Columbus and Northern Brewer hops. Another dose of Columbus in the dry-hopping stage gives it a defiantly hoppy character. Poured in a glass, the head becomes thick and cappuccino-like, with lacing down to the last sip.

Style: American Stout
Taste Expectations: Coffee, bitter chocolate, roasty malts.  Light vanilla, grassy hops.  Very intense.
Availability: 16oz cans, Draft.  Winter seasonal.

6.6% ABV

Sixpoint Diesel

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, New Belgium

New Belgium Shift Pale Lager To Be A Tallboy

New Belgium ShiftIt’s no secret that New Belgium Brewing will be launching 16oz “tallboy” cans soon.  Shift Pale Lager, will be one of those cans.  As mentioned in my recent visit to New Belgium in October, these cans will come off the line sometime in early 2012.

With the new canning line, the brewery will be able to add more canning capacity, while making 12oz & 16oz editions.  States/markets that don’t currently see New Belgium’s can lineup will see them one it is in place.  The brewery currently cans Fat Tire, Mothership Wit, and Ranger IPA.

Below: 12oz cans waiting to be filled

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Cigar City Brewing

Cigar City Hopes To Completely Eliminate 12oz Bottles

Cigar City Brewing told the St. Petersburg Times yesterday that they hope to completely eliminate 12oz bottles in the future.   Cans have always been planned for Cigar City, the problem being space, and cost.  The first order of cans alone costs $37,000 dollars!

“When you put beer in bottles, you’re in a race to have it consumed before it becomes not what you intended.”

New Belgium sold their current canning line to Cigar City.  There is a gym next to the brewery (I almost wandered in there after 1, 3,  6 beers.)  They are moving out, and the new canning line is moving in.

The brewery has been tweeting a lot recently about the benefit of cans – blocking light, recyclable, you can take it more places, even cheaper.  They are really excited about it.

“Our ultimate goal,” says Redner, “is to phase out the 12-ounce bottles entirely and go to cans.”

Arrival: March, 2012

[St. Petersburg Times]

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Sixpoint Craft Ales

Sixpoint Bengali Tiger

Sixpoint (Brooklyn, NY) Bengali Tiger.

The Sixpoint homebrewed IPA interpretation. Blaze orange in color, with an abundance of citrus hop bitterness, and a full pine and grapefruit bouquet in the aroma.

Style: IPA
Availability: 16 oz cans. Year round availability

6.2% ABV, 62 IBUS

 

by Reid Ramsay