When I first got into craft beer everything was pretty much in bottles, and cans were really only relegated to terrible macro beers (you know, the big three). It was difficult to find a craft beer that was actually served in cans and when I did, to be honest, I was afraid mainly because cans were seen as cheaper and didn't have the same kind of “class”, so to speak. They almost seemed to undermine what it was to be craft. But then I actually tried one, and at first I didn't even drink it directly from the can, because I didn't think it would taste very good. A lot of the craft breweries at that time encouraged people to pour it into a glass like you would do with bottles. I don't know if it was laziness or if I was being a little bit adventurous, but I skipped the glass and have never looked back.
I think the first question to ask is “Why were bottles chosen originally?” I think the answer to that is that it was cheaper. Canning lines take a lot of money, but over time it seems that the technology has gotten cheaper. Hence, you now see a whole plethora of can choices, and it appears that most new craft brewers, who are getting into distribution, are definitely focusing on the cans. Bottles, maybe because of their connection to wine, always had this higher class feel to them, especially bombers. They can be served similarly to wine and poured into a special glass to give this air of superiority. I think the problem with that is that craft shouldn't take itself too seriously. Beer is always going to be the working class drink but that doesn't mean that it's consumers should ask for something that tastes terrible.
Cans are the perfect solution to a lot of the problems that bottles have. You can’t take bottles to the beach, the park, or pretty much any other venues. Bottles are heavy, they're hard to carry and can easily break. Cans, on the other hand, are much lighter, stronger, and are easy to carry. Plus, they can go almost anywhere that you're allowed to bring drinks. So not only do you get to enjoy your beer in more places, but don’t have to worry about it breaking, which is just nice.
I think the other main benefits that cans have over bottles is that they can help beer stay fresh for longer. One of the big problems with bottles is oxidation, which essentially means that air gets into the beer and can make it take it taste terrible. Another problem is light. Light can really change the taste of beer, so even the freshest beers in brand new bottles have to go through light and air to make its way to the liquor store or to the bar that you're at. Whereas with cans there's very little air and there's total darkness. It's a perfect vessel for beer. Oh did I mention that it gets colder quicker? Because it does.
So why did it take so long? Why are craft breweries still using bottles? I know that some already invested into the machinery and really can't go back now. These breweries risk falling behind. Nowadays, when I go to the store, if I'm given the choice between two very good beers, I’m buying the canned one.
Bottles still have a use though. You don't want large, brash beers that you would age for a long time in cans because the cans don't contribute anything. Here, the air and temperature changes might help the complexity of the flavors, and they still present better than cans.
In my opinion, cans should be the go-to option for any beer under 8% ABV. Larger, heavier beers should continue to stay in bottles.
