Can or Bottle? Which Is Better for Beer?

Should you drink beer from a can or a bottle? It seems like a question that has caused arguments among beer drinkers ever since beer cans were invented in 1935. Stereotypes of bottle and can beer drinkers are still strong among bar rats and learned drinkers alike, but we’re here to say that in the 2020s, these stereotypes are outdated.

Of course, there will always be those who say that ‘real’ beer drinkers drink from bottles while party drinkers drink their cheap beer from cans. While this may be true in some cases, the world of beer packaging is changing fast and canned beer is becoming more and more popular.

Now, let’s compare cans and bottles, free of prejudice, and decide once and for all which is the better repository for the world’s favorite drink.

First up, which keeps beer fresher?

Unfortunately, beer can go bad. It’s just another sad fact of life. So, preserving beer should be one of the main focuses of the receptacle that beer comes in.

One of the main reasons why beer goes bad is that it’s exposed to too much light and oxygen. Too many UV rays and oxygen can leave the beer too oxidized and skunky. And, just as a wild guess, I don’t think you want to be drinking any beer described as ‘skunky’. What that word means in terms of beer is simply that the beer tastes like burnt rubber or animal musk.

Since cans are more apt to blocking out sunlight and oxygen, cans are able to prevent skunky beer more than bottles. While amber glass bottles block out about 99% of light, the green, brown, and clear bottles barely block out any.

1 point for cans, 0 for bottles

What about portability?

Bottles may have a comfortable shape for holding and sipping and may have a perfectly-sized opening for lemon and lime slices, but think about how much more a bottle weighs than a can. If you’re planning on taking a pack of beer to enjoy at a campsite or on a picnic at the beach, every added pound can hold you back and slow you down.

A 6-pack of bottled beer weighs 2 pounds more than a 6-pack of canned beer. That’s 2 extra pounds you would be lugging around with you.

That may not seem like much, but if you’ve ever gone camping, or had a walk on a beach, you know that getting to your camp or picnic sight is no walk in the park.

2 points for cans, 0 for bottles

Cans are more eco-friendly!

There are a few reasons why cans are better for the environment. Firstly, they’re lighter than bottles (as we’ve already stated). This means that beer companies can have their cans delivered, and their beer shipped out to drinkers, using less fuel per serving.

Hypothetically, a ship that has a 2-ton weight limit can hold more cans than bottles, since cans weigh less.

Secondly, cans are more recyclable than bottles are. In fact, aluminum cans are 100% recyclable, plus they can be reused as they are, countless times. Glass, on the other hand, breaks easily which makes it not as long-lasting. Besides that, only about 34% of glass bottles are put into recycling bins. Meanwhile, 55% of cans are recycled.

Once again, that’s another point for cans.

3 points for cans, 0 for bottles
Finally, let’s discuss the most popular hearsay about canned beer…
Many bottled beer drinkers argue that canned beer simply doesn’t taste as good as bottled beer. They say that the aluminum that the beer is packaged in affects the flavor and gives the beer a metallic, tinny taste.

Studies show that this is not actually the case. According to the Huffington Post, in a bottled vs canned beer taste test, 51% of people said that they preferred the canned beer. So, clearly there is no difference between the taste of beer from a can and a bottle.

If your beer does taste metallic or tinny, that means that there is something wrong, not with the beer itself, but with the company’s canning process.

4 points for cans, 0 for bottles
What’s the takeaway?
To wrap this up, canned beer takes the cake. This isn’t to say that all beer should be drunk from cans, but it just goes to show that the stereotypes against canned beer aren’t so true after all.

Numerous breweries are choosing to can their beers now because of the new studies and facts coming out.

So, the main takeaway from this should be that beer is beer, no matter if you drink it from a can, a bottle, a keg, or whatever it is college kids drink from at parties. Enjoy beer for what it is, and if an argument about cans vs bottles does come up, you’ll know just what to say.

Of course, FRIO comes in cans.
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