Are Glass Bottles Going Bye-Bye?

[Zuljin]

Probably not, but breweries do seem to be using cans more.

Some breweries, like Huyghe with their bottles spray painted to look like stoneware, use glass bottles as a way to make their product stand out. New Belgium, and many others, have their names made right into the bottles.

Aluminum cans are cheaper to buy and ship. They aren't prohibited in "no glass" areas such as beaches, campsites and other outdoor recreational areas. It's common to find Shiner cans. Grapevine, Deep Ellum and Southern Star are craft breweries who can instead of bottle.

The screw off glass bottle has been with us for a long time, and we have screw off cans.

We probably don't have to start hoarding pry off glass bottles... any more than we already do. Just an observation.

And flocc kegging before you even start in on that.

 

[slym2none]

Probably not, but breweries do seem to be using cans more.

Some breweries, like Huyghe with their bottles spray painted to look like stoneware, use glass bottles as a way to make their product stand out. New Belgium, and many others, have their names made right into the bottles.

Aluminum cans are cheaper to buy and ship. They aren't prohibited in "no glass" areas such as beaches, campsites and other outdoor recreational areas. It's common to find Shiner cans. Grapevine, Deep Ellum and Southern Star are craft breweries who can instead of bottle.

The screw off glass bottle has been with us for a long time, and we have screw off cans.

Oscar Blues is cans-only as well, from what I know.

And flocc kegging before you even start in on that.

 

[Terek]

there is a local brewery near me in nampa that only cans there beer. It has a lot to due with lake lowell being right in the middle of town. its always packed and a "no glass" zone that is heavily inforced. There is always at least 2 cops at the boat launch all day ev3ry day in the summer. With the squad cars and jet boat on hand.

 

[Pkrd]

As a recipient of three glass punctures on my bike this weekend, I welcome this.

 

[Zuljin]

There's also a perception among some beer drinkers that glass means quality. Cans mean crap.

 

[Cyclman]

I think aluminum cans are fuh-can awesome, as OB says. More easily stored, shipped, recycled, safer, better product protection. It's like in the wine world- natural cork is perceived as better, which there is little evidence to support. Glass has way more downsides to cans, but perception is it is fancy.

I have hoarded a ridiculous number of bottles, and don't think we'll see them disappear in our lifetime. And, like cornys, if they did disappear, a secondary market will emerge.

 

[TheFlatLander]

Has anyone tried bottling in those pry off capped 16oz aluminum bottles? Wondering if they would work. I could see the advantage of 16oz vs. 12oz and the aluminum will prevent UV skunking.

 

[MaxStout]

It's like screw-top wines. There used to be a stigma associated with them, but that is fading. I don't think beer in bottles will disappear anymore than I think corked wine will. But canned craft beer is becoming more prevalent.

 

[northernlad]

If cans are cheaper to produce and ship you sure can't tell by the price of a six pack vs glass.

 

[Zuljin]

It applies to box wine and liquor in plastic jugs, too. And to liquor in outrageous bottles. If they have to put it in a bottle shaped like a skull with a snake coming out of it's eye socket, you can pretty much bet that's a gimmick to sell the rubbing alcohol inside.

 

[Zuljin]

If cans are cheaper to produce and ship you sure can't tell by the price of a six pack vs glass.

Ha! But just imagine how much more that can beer would cost in bottles.

 

[bob1852]

It applies to box wine and liquor in plastic jugs, too. And to liquor in outrageous bottles. If they have to put it in a bottle shaped like a skull with a snake coming out of it's eye socket, you can pretty much bet that's a gimmick to sell the rubbing alcohol inside.

The tequila sold in the glass tommy gun is especially vile.

 

[day_trippr]

Inevitably, economics will drive the glass beer bottle into specialty applications, as even limited production runs will be cheaper in cans...

Cheers!

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Here in Arizona the crazy bright sun makes it almost a necessity to can beer instead of bottling. My favorite micro here, four peaks, cans sunbru, peach, hopknot, kiltlifter and I think i've had 8th street ale in cans as well. It seems to me that micro brews should be especially careful to make sure their beer doesn't get skunked. Lumberyard cans everything. Santan brewery cans everything they make I think. I really prefer cans over bottles. You can't take bottles on the salt river. Arizona is a great place with a different way of doing things than other places. interestingly, these differences often translate to other parts of the country just because over time our harsh environment ends up being pertinent over time to other places.

 

[slym2none]

As a recipient of three glass punctures on my bike this weekend, I welcome this.

Please learn to not fall off of your bike.

 

[Pappers_]

A few weeks ago, @Homercidal and I were at a local brewpub and saw something that was new to me - they will can any of their beers on tap for you, right there on the spot. They fill a 32 oz. can without a top, just as you do a growler, then have a machine that attaches the top. It was very cool. http://www.dryhopchicago.com/growler/

 

[northernlad]

I've bottled in the aluminum bottles. Works great for camping with homebrew. I'm pretty sure I capped with my lever capper not my wing.

 

[Kharnynb]

In central europe, bottles still rule, maybe because the distances are shorter and bottle washing/recycling makes more sense.

Up north in Finland though, people tend to buy the basic beer in cans, specialty stuff in bottles.

 

[drainbamage]

Of the new breweries that have opened in my area in the last 5 years, probably 75% have chosen cans, except for special release bombers. I have a pretty good stash of bottles already, so I'm not too concerned about scarcity at the moment.

A few weeks ago, @Homercidal and I were at a local brewpub and saw something that was new to me - they will can any of their beers on tap for you, right there on the spot. They fill a 32 oz. can without a top, just as you do a growler, then have a machine that attaches the top. It was very cool. http://www.dryhopchicago.com/growler/

Yes, crowlers. They're cool for the novelty value (and when you walk into a party and crack open a 32 oz. can), but when it comes to reusability, I'd rather just stick with a traditional growler/howler for fill-ups.

 

[broadbill]

Of the new breweries that have opened in my area in the last 5 years, probably 75% have chosen cans, except for special release bombers. I have a pretty good stash of bottles already, so I'm not too concerned about scarcity at the moment.



Yes, crowlers. They're cool for the novelty value (and when you walk into a party and crack open a 32 oz. can), but when it comes to reusability, I'd rather just stick with a traditional growler/howler for fill-ups.

In my area, I would estimate that all of new breweries in the last 5 years that are packaging product are using cans.

Of the existing breweries, I would say 75-80% have moved from bottles to cans in some format.

If looking from amount of product, our region's numbers might be a bit skewed as the largest craft brew (ShipYard) is still using bottles. But in general their beer isn't great so it doesn't count.

 

[itsnotrequired]

A few weeks ago, @Homercidal and I were at a local brewpub and saw something that was new to me - they will can any of their beers on tap for you, right there on the spot. They fill a 32 oz. can without a top, just as you do a growler, then have a machine that attaches the top. It was very cool. http://www.dryhopchicago.com/growler/

central waters has had one of these in their tap room for some time now. pretty cool.

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

In Michigan we are starting to see an equal mix of bottles and cans. Founders, Atwater, Bells, Right Brain, Griffin Claw... all use both bottles and cans, while we have breweries that only use cans (Keewenaw, Brewery Vivant) or only use bottles (DarkHorse, Jolly Pumpkin, Shorts).

I think the big thing with Michigan is that we'll adapt to whatever we need to. In addition, we have a 10 cent deposit on our beer and soda, so you're not too likely to see us littering parks and beaches with empties.

 

[MaxStout]

In central europe, bottles still rule, maybe because the distances are shorter and bottle washing/recycling makes more sense.

Up north in Finland though, people tend to buy the basic beer in cans, specialty stuff in bottles.

I've noticed that during the times I've traveled in Europe. Some of the big macros (e.g. Henninger) packaged in both. I recall seeing canned beer sold on trains, but stores sold mostly bottled beer.

 

[martyjhuebs]

I may be wrong on this but there will always be breweries that will use bottles for the fact that a production level canning maching is pretty pricey. I talked to the guys at Iron Fist in Vista, CA and that was the case with them a couple of years ago. They also bottle condition their beers though...

 

[BrewSavage]

I thought cardboard was the inevitable new packaging?

 

[broadbill]

I may be wrong on this but there will always be breweries that will use bottles for the fact that a production level canning maching is pretty pricey. I talked to the guys at Iron Fist in Vista, CA and that was the case with them a couple of years ago. They also bottle condition their beers though...

I think it redo/retrofit from a bottle line to a canning line is the expensive part, not that canning itself was expensive. The new breweries here are all pretty small and went straight to canning...I think they realize this is where the industry is going.

I'm also sure the past couple of years and the increasing popularity of canning has put some downward price pressure on the canning machines themselves.

 

[Kharnynb]

I think a big difference between the US and europe is that you guys remelt glass for recycling, where as over here it gets washed and reused.

 

[stella_tigre]

They used to reuse soda bottles. I remember getting a coke out of a vending machine, it was always fun to get an older style bottle. [dating myself]

I bottle, and am always hoarding new ones when we buy the good stuff. I find that I am making more - I have 15 gallons of cider that will need bottling eventually, and much of that will be carbed in the bottle. Unless hubby gets me a keg setup for Xmas!

 

[Sailingeric]

I use to bottle, now I can, in 5 gallon corny cans

 

[orangehero]

Yeah cans are certainly being pushed heavy as though they are actually superior to bottles in every single possible way. It's gotta be worth it for someone, I doubt it's entirely for the consumer's sake. Don't know for sure about the other points, but cans do come with a BPA liner since they are aluminum after all. Does anyone know what is the highest level of carbonation you can do in a can?

 

[rayr87]

I went on a brewery tour this summer where they strictly can. They claimed along with the cans being cheaper to ship and recyclable, they use cans because they don't have to worry about light. And its easier to purge a can than a bottle. Because the walls of the can aren't curved there is less turbulence and allows them to be sure that its all co2.

 

[seefish]

Not necessarily true that cans are cheaper. There are only like 2 companies in the US that produce aluminum cans for beer. To order printed aluminum cans you have to buy a LOT, like close to 100k, which is a problem for small breweries. Both due to the upfront cost and the space they take up. So no, cans will not be overtaking glass any time soon in the US.

 

[broadbill]

Yeah cans are certainly being pushed heavy as though they are actually superior to bottles in every single possible way.

I think they are becoming popular as they are superior to bottles in every single way!

 

[broadbill]

Not necessarily true that cans are cheaper. There are only like 2 companies in the US that produce aluminum cans for beer. To order printed aluminum cans you have to buy a LOT, like close to 100k, which is a problem for small breweries. Both due to the upfront cost and the space they take up. So no, cans will not be overtaking glass any time soon in the US.

I know this used to be the case, I'm not sure it is anymore...like I said, we have several breweries around us that are canning and they are all doing small runs of different beers, all in different cans. Granted, their printing is all different (I brewery has print right on the can, another appears to be using a printed shrink wrap, another is slapping a adhesive label).

My point is several options exist, and they are all small breweries, doing small runs.

 

[Bobbybob]

Here in Arizona the crazy bright sun makes it almost a necessity to can beer instead of bottling. My favorite micro here, four peaks, cans sunbru, peach, hopknot, kiltlifter and I think i've had 8th street ale in cans as well. It seems to me that micro brews should be especially careful to make sure their beer doesn't get skunked. Lumberyard cans everything. Santan brewery cans everything they make I think. I really prefer cans over bottles. You can't take bottles on the salt river. Arizona is a great place with a different way of doing things than other places. interestingly, these differences often translate to other parts of the country just because over time our harsh environment ends up being pertinent over time to other places.

Love the salt river but in some places it is more can than riverbed.

 

[seefish]

I know this used to be the case, I'm not sure it is anymore...like I said, we have several breweries around us that are canning and they are all doing small runs of different beers, all in different cans. Granted, their printing is all different (I brewery has print right on the can, another appears to be using a printed shrink wrap, another is slapping a adhesive label).

My point is several options exist, and they are all small breweries, doing small runs.

This article doesn't provide much as far as actual numbers, but it is recent.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mergerm...r-trouble-was-already-brewing-for-craft-beer/

I would assume/hope though, as you mentioned, there are other options and this may only apply to pre-printed cans.

 

[orangehero]

I think they are becoming popular as they are superior to bottles in every single way!

Yeah the more you repeat anything the more true it gets. Maybe they're better in some ways. They're probably sometimes cheaper. They feel cheaper always. It's not cheaper on the shelf, though. I prefer the aesthetics and feel of a bottle in all ways. Also I don't like having to wash the top of the cans before it's possible to open it without getting all kinds of filth into the beer.

 

[Zuljin]

They used to reuse soda bottles. I remember getting a coke out of a vending machine, it was always fun to get an older style bottle. [dating myself]

I bottle, and am always hoarding new ones when we buy the good stuff. I find that I am making more - I have 15 gallons of cider that will need bottling eventually, and much of that will be carbed in the bottle. Unless hubby gets me a keg setup for Xmas!

All bottles are not the same, that's the truth. The bottles I got years ago with my first kit were good enough. I'm sure some are holding beer right now. But there are some much better bottles out there. New Belgium, Pete's, Widmer and Miller Fortune (yeah, yeah) are pretty heavy duty.

And something I never noticed before brewing was how out of round some bottles are. They're all wavy and bumpy, and not really round at all.

 

[BrewSavage]

I thought the can craze started 10-15 years ago with the 20 somethings drinking cheap cans of legacy brands like PBR, Natty Boh', etc. The early adapters claiming to do it ironically and then the sheep following.

Turn the clock ahead and now the current generation of 20-somethings associate bottles with an older generation.

In 5-10 years the 20 somethings (clean shaven) will be drinking out of bottles, to be ironic and drinking out of cans is something their dads did. Sheep to follow.

 

[Newsman]

A few weeks ago, @Homercidal and I were at a local brewpub and saw something that was new to me - they will can any of their beers on tap for you, right there on the spot. They fill a 32 oz. can without a top, just as you do a growler, then have a machine that attaches the top. It was very cool. http://www.dryhopchicago.com/growler/

There's a place in Chattanooga, TN that does that too.