Cans are keeping it fresh.
If there is one thing that can bring Americans together it is our love of an ice-cold beer. It’s hard to imagine watching the Yankees beat the Red Sox, celebrating the Fourth of July, or getting together with family without a refreshing beer.
But there is a rift forming in America. Debates rage between environmental impacts, health and safety, and economic visions. Both sides seem to wholeheartedly believe that they have the nation’s best interests at heart. This debate, of course, is between those who believe beer should be canned and those who believe beer should be bottled. Here at Yonkers Brewing Company, we proudly believe in canned beer.
Now, like most people, I believe that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Delicious beer is the star of the show, not the receptacle that’s used to transport it. Well, like most debates, the solution is not that simple; there is nuance. This is beer we’re talking about after all. There are three main points I’d like to discuss when considering cans vs. bottles:
1. Freshness
2. Environmental Impact
3. Satisfaction
Freshness
Whether it’s while taking a walk or drinking a beer, the last thing you want to encounter is a skunk. We’ve all taken a sip of beer at one point or another and, with a look of disgust and immeasurable disappointment exclaimed, “Oh man, this beer is skunked!”. A skunked beer is the boogeyman that hides in every beer lover’s fridge and haunts our dreams. But, what exactly does it mean for a beer to “skunk”? And how does it happen?
As the name implies, a skunked beer gives off a less than pleasant aroma that will ruin the experience and cause you to dump the beer. This occurs when UV rays from sunlight and certain indoor lights penetrate into the beer causing a chemical reaction that ruins the beer. Bottles, especially green, blue, and clear bottles, allow light to enter them easily. This jeopardizes the integrity of the beer especially if it is being consumed outdoors with exposure to direct sunlight. This process is also relatively fast-paced which means your beer won’t have to sit out all day for it to happen.
Cans however are completely sealed off and do not allow any light to interact with the beer that it so diligently protects. With canned beer, you can take your brews anywhere and never have to worry about light exposure which could cost you not only your beer drinking experience but also your hard-earned dollars.
Environmental Impact
This is a fairly simple difference to explain. First, a case of canned beer is lighter than a case of bottled beer. A six-pack of 12oz beer cans is about 5lbs while a six-pack of 12oz bottles is a little over 7lbs. This doesn’t seem like a huge difference on the surface.
However one has to take into account the fact that beer is typically shipped in large quantities. As brewers like Yonkers add more cases to a truck, the weight difference begins to multiply and heavier cases lead to heavier vehicles and worse gas mileage. This results in the unnecessary burning of fuel in order to transport beer around the country. But when brewers reduce the weight by switching to cans, it leads to big reductions in carbon emissions.
The second factor is the recycling process. Cans are more easily recycled than bottles, plain and simple. The cans are smaller, easier to transport, and more malleable than their glass bottle counterparts. When you drink a can of beer you can rest assured that you’ve made the most environmentally responsible decision.
Satisfaction
Beyond the data, there are certain subjective attributes of cans that are felt in our hearts and souls. There is a certain timeless feel with a great can of beer, a certain liberation that comes with the reliability of the container.
First, glass is fragile. When your friend asks for a beer, you may find yourself walking it over to them as if holding a delicate heirloom. While it may not be acceptable to cry over spilled beer, it is always acceptable to cry after stepping on a shard of broken glass. When your friend asks for a beer and you were wise enough to grab that case of cans, you can confidently loft it to them knowing that any mishandling will not result in bleeding feet.
Also, one has to take into account the moment you open the beer. Sure, I’ll concede there is a certain charm in opening a bottle of beer, especially when you’re the only person around that has a bottle opener. However, I think it pales in comparison to the satisfaction of opening a crisp can of beer, especially a can of Yonkers beer.
There’s something visceral about the experience- prying your finger under the tab, pulling it back, hearing the POP, and taking in the smell of the foam as it rises to the surface. It is an experience that only comes from a can and just one of the small but irreplaceable details that goes into our decision making here at Yonkers Brewing.
