My Thoughts On Cans vs Bottles...

Summer of 2010. I wanted Saranacs Summer Brew SO BAD, but I couldn't find it. In my fevered search (seriously, It was really hot that day) I came across Leinenkugals Summer Shandy. 12 Pack of cans, almost $20. Holy sticker shock. After forking over the money, I get home and I'm pretty excited, I crack open one and take the first sip out of the can. BLECH! I paid almost $20 for this shit?! Later I would go on to change my mind about Summer Shandy, but that's not the point of this post. Point is, this was around the beginning when the whole canning debate was starting to really gain momentum, and you know what? I was Team Bottle.

I held this point to be true (to me) for a little while. One night in Baltimore, I think we were at Johnny Rads, my girlfriend ordered me a Brewers Art Resurrection Ale (in a can, poured into a glass) and promised me I would like it. And you know what? She was right!

So there went my stupid prejudice.

That would be the last canned beer I would have until just this past weekend, where I enjoyed and Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's. The thing is, I poured it into a glass. And yesterday, I was lucky enough to score a 4 pack of the highly sought after Heady Topper. 4 cans, of supposedly, the best IPA in the world. Right on the can, in big letters it states "DRINK FROM THE CAN,"  so I did. Not bad. My next can, I poured though. And it was 2187642 times better.

My verdict? I was wrong to think that good beer doesn't come in cans. But its also not so cut and dry. I think canned beer is good, when you can pour it into a glass. I think drinking beer out of the can really does affect the taste. Maybe not so much in the "I can taste the metal!" But when you drink from the can, you are really losing out on a lot of the aromas that go into the overall taste experience. But...same with glass. So while you can bring a 6 pack of your favorite craft beer to an outdoor event or something along those lines, you're still not getting the best experience if you don't have something to pour it into. But...same with glass.

Cans are light weight, and completely block ALL sunlight, which we know is beers natural enemy. They seal tighter and they're just all around handy. And you don't have to worry about having something handy to open a can. Unless you have stubby fingertips or something, then opening one becomes a pain in the ass.

TL;DR: I was wrong to think cans were no good, and thanks to my girlfriend and other people, the point was proven by far. Cans and bottles are both a-ok by me!