Remember those Mad Men episodes when Don Draper opens his beer with a church key? Ah, those were the days before all that technology cluttered up our beautiful beer cans. Well, it's time to wax nostalgic, because the beer can was invented by Gottfried Krueger Brewery 75 years ago this month, and this is an anniversary I'd like to celebrate by indulging in a beer - one in a can, of course. Several great microbreweries have begun to sell great beer in cans, including Oskar Blues and Ska Brewery (for the hiker types). Anybody see any other good beers in cans?
So if you want to see a ridiculous collection of old school beer cans, including the first ever (pictured above), just head to Flint, Michigan to check out the "Brewery Collectibles Club of America." Vargo, next time you're going home for the holidays? If for some reason you don't want to go to Flint, the video embedded below gives you a nice tour of the place. Or, you can check out their annual convention, called (I kid you not) CANvention. Check this out for some great pictures from the 1998 convention - excuse me, CANvention. Seriously, look here. Oh, and don't forget your BCCA gear. Dibs on the lanyard.
Ah, yes. The 1960s. When men were Men, and they drank beer out of cans with church keys. No matter that beer in a can tastes tinny, and beer in a glass bottle is so much better. I have to say, I'm not a big fan of micro-breweries jumping on this nostalgia bandwagon...
ReplyDeleteWell, it is nicer for hiking and camping, too. When my friend and I took them on our hike in Arizona, it worked out well. And I kind of like the metallic tang in a good pale ale, like Dale's. It would be interesting to have a blind taste-test between a bottle and a can of the exact same beer to see if it actually alters the taste at all...
ReplyDeleteI like the beer in the can. It's much nicer for the beach, the pool, and the boat as well (places where glass is verboten). More and more I feel like breweries are marketing their packaging as much as their beer. Budweiser had born on dating, Coors has the vented mouth and the blue mountains that tell you your beer is as cold as the Rockies. Now even craft breweries like Sam Adams are into it, noting that all of their brews come in dark bottles and their six pack boxes reach higher on the bottles to prevent light from entering and damaging the beer. They've even featured their special glass that they created to release aromas and flavors and maximize the beer (albeit a lager). Their glass also features a laser etching in the bottom to release bubbles similar to the Dogfishhead pint (and MJ's will, RIP).
ReplyDeleteI agree about the convenience of cans for camping, outdoor sports, and situations in which broken glass would be particularly, um, dangerous. But, if I'm in the comfort of my own home, I would always rather drink beer out of a glass.
ReplyDeleteI think putting beer back in cans has become, as you suggest, a marketing gimmick much like "born on" dating or weird shades of glass. I would really just rather have a simple brown glass.