Canned Craft Beer

Firestone Walker Readies First Cans

Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, CA) will release their first full production release of cans in February, 2015. The brewery has canned 805, as its own brand last year. This release marks the first Firestone Walker beers in aluminum.

The brewery is Continue Reading →

Bell’s Smitten Cans Coming in February

Bell’s Brewery (Comstock, MI) fifth can offering will be Smitten Rye, shipping in February.

Last year, Bell’s kicked off the can lineup with Two Hearted and Oberon cans. Winter White and Best Brown have joined the fray. In February, comes the spicy Continue Reading →

Second Self Brewing Can Launch: April

If the time tables hold, Second Self Brewing Company (Atlanta, GA) will release their first cans in April, 2015. The brewery opened their doors in November, 2014, with the immediate desire to can as soon as possible.

This week, Toucan Mobile Canning has Continue Reading →

Boulevard Brewing To Launch Cans in 2015

Boulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, MO) will launch their first cans this year. The brewery says fan feedback, and desire for aluminum made this idea a reality.

Boulevard initially plans to launch four 12oz canned offerings, three of which have been Continue Reading →

Posted in Coming Soon, Firestone Walker Brewing, Headlines

Firestone Walker Readies First Cans

Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, CA) will release their first full production release of cans in February, 2015. The brewery has canned 805, as its own brand last year. This release marks the first Firestone Walker beers in aluminum.

The brewery is kicking off the can lineup with Easy Jack IPA, Union Jack IPA, and Pivo Pils.

“We could have rushed into canning a few years ago, but we wanted the timing to be right,” said brewery co-proprietor David Walker. “The market for canned craft beer is now hitting its stride, and canning technology has come a long way in a short period. Also, cans are a perfect fit for life here on the Central Coast. All of these factors converged to finally reach a tipping point for us.”

At full speed, Firestone Walker’s German-built KHS canning line is capable of producing and filing 400 cans per minute.

12oz Firestone Walker cans will start making their way into distribution at the end of February, and early March, 2015.

Style: Various
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. 12oz Cans (new)
Release: Late February, 2015

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Wrecking Bar Brewpub

Wrecking Bar Plans To Can At New Facility

Wrecking Bar Brewpub (Atlanta, GA) will be building the north of the city in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The farm brewery will be the county’s first, and mark a major expansion by the pub.

Additionally, Wrecking Bar has plans to can at least some of their offerings at The Wrecking Barn Brewery (the name of the future location).

The Wrecking Barn just recently got its zoning green-light. Currently there is no solid timetable for the build.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Coming Soon

Bell’s Smitten Cans Coming in February

Bell’s Brewery (Comstock, MI) fifth can offering will be Smitten Rye, shipping in February.

Last year, Bell’s kicked off the can lineup with Two Hearted and Oberon cans. Winter White and Best Brown have joined the fray. In February, comes the spicy Smitten Rye Golden Ale. 16oz cans arrive in February, alongside draft and 12oz bottle offerings.

Style: Rye Beer
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. 16oz Cans (New). Seasonal.
Return: February, 2015

6% ABV

Read more:  Canned Craft Beer.  

Image via Bell’s Brewery 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Second Self Brewing Company

Second Self Brewing Can Launch: April

If the time tables hold, Second Self Brewing Company (Atlanta, GA) will release their first cans in April, 2015. The brewery opened their doors in November, 2014, with the immediate desire to can as soon as possible.

This week, Toucan Mobile Canning has been in house, testing 12oz can fills of Thai Wheat.

Second Self plans to can Red Hop Rye, Thai Wheat, and Saison this year.

As far as Georgia cans are concerned, SweetWater, Terrapin, Red Brick, Creature Comforts, Coastal Empire, Macon Beer Company, Red Hare, and Orpheus Brewing have cans in their lineup, with Wild Heaven and Monday Night to join the aluminum revolution in the near future.

Image via Second Self Brewing Company

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer History

First Canned Beer Sold Jan 24, 1935

If you are Oskar Blues, Surly, or 21st Amendment Brewing (just to name a few) or any beer drinker that has ever drank a beer from a can, today is a big day for you.   The first beer in a can was sold on this day in 1935.  The American Can Company manufactured the cans that Gottfried Kruger Brewing Company ordered to can “Krueger’s Finest Beer & “Cream Ale”.  The brewery was based in Richmond, Va.

Few Facts:
– The first attempted at canning actually started in 1909.  The first attempts were unsuccessful due to pressure and sealing issues.
– Prohibition in the United States (aka The Dark Times) prevented American Can from attempting again until repeal – 1933
– As crazy as it sounds now, the sale of beer in cans wasn’t easy.  Adoption took time.
– Krueger’s canned beer became popular very fast once the idea took off.
– Schlitz, Pabst, Stroh’s & Anheuser-Busch lost market share due to Gottfried Krueger’s cans – so started canning also.
– According to the Brewer’s Association, canned beer accounts for more than 50% of beer sold in the states.

Here at the start of 2015, dozens of craft brewers are adding cans to their lineup. (Lonerider in North Carolina dropped bottles completely for cans.)

Happy Birthday beer can. Thanks for always being full.

Read more: Canned Craft Beer

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Sly Fox Brewing

Sly Fox SRT Ale Launches in Cans on Earth Day

Sly Fox Brewing Company, Pottstown, PA will release a new canned offering, Sly Fox SRT Ale on Earth Day, 2015.

SRT Ale is built for the outdoors, and those who love behind outside. The new beer is a hop-forward pale ale, just 4.6% alcohol by volume.

Pennsylvanians will recognize SRT as Schuylkill River Trail. A recreational trail near the brewery.

“Brewing a tribute beer to the crown jewel of regional recreation was a natural for us,” said Sly Fox Brewmaster, Brian O’Reilly. “The Schuylkill Watershed is vital to the work we do and Sly Fox is committed to supporting it.”

Sly Fox SRT Ale will contribute to the trail upkeep as well. The SRT Spree will follow a Sly Fox launch team over the course of four nights and five days as they trek from Pottsville to Philadelphia with a larger-than-life SRT ALE can, to celebrate the beer launch, and the trail. 12oz cans launch in April, 2015.

Style: Pale Ale
Availability: 12oz Cans
Arrival: April, 2015

?? ABV

Sly Fox Beer

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Boulevard Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

Boulevard Brewing To Launch Cans in 2015

Boulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, MO) will launch their first cans this year. The brewery says fan feedback, and desire for aluminum made this idea a reality.

Boulevard initially plans to launch four 12oz canned offerings, three of which have been released in some form before. Those include Unfiltered Wheat Beer, Pop-Up IPA, and Ginger Lemon Radler.

New to the lineup as well as cans, is Heavy Lifting IPA. The recipe is closely related to a another beer from the Tap Room Series, Mid-Coast IPA. The 6.2% ABV IPA is a year round offering, brewed with Centennial, Amarillo, Topaz and Citra hops.

Boulevard will announce the ship date for the cans in the near future.

by Reid Ramsay