As craft beer grows in popularity each year, new trends emerge. Canning is one of those trends and presents many benefits to both brewer and consumer.
Last week, leading South African craft beer producer, the Cape Brewing Company (CBC), introduced their newest Pale Ale not in a bottle, but in an aluminium can.
Thinking of beer in a can may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Many consumers associate it with cheap, metallic-tasting beer, but the recent evolution of canned beer may challenge those preconceived notions.
Brewmaster Wolfgang Koedel and his team did extensive research to find a canning line that delivers a sealed container that was good enough for their customers, and their beer. CBC’s new creation is produced in Sweden in partnership with Swedish brewery Åbro, which has one of the most advanced can fillers in Europe. The can itself is created using sophisticated aluminium processing technology, and provides a perfect seal for the beer while guaranteeing its taste and flavour. The can was chosen not only because of its ability to preserve the beer’s quality, but also because it is portable, quick-chilling, and sustainable.
CBC Brewmaster Wolfgang Koedel with the CBC Pale Ale Can in Sweden.
“In general, people consider draft beer to be the freshest, best beer you can get, so we like to think of the can as a mini-keg that delivers draft-quality fresh beer to your glass,” Andy Kung, Operations Manager at CBC, said.
Another fun fact on the canning craze is that craft beer in a can maintains its quality since it is not spoiled by light. With cans, sunlight cannot permeate the beer. With clear and green bottles, light causes a photochemical reaction where beer can start to give off a skunk aroma. With brown bottles, there is less light getting in, but still some.
CBC’s new Pale Ale will be available at major retailers and liquor stores nationwide from mid-March 2016.
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To coincide with its debut, CBC will launch its own smartphone app specially designed for its fans to get the most out of their love of CBC craft beer. The app combines photography, social sharing and a badge award system to encourage fans to take their own journey with CBC’s new can, share it with their friends, say cheers to the best pictures, and track how far the can travels around South Africa and the world. Taking CBC’s new can along on their journey will earn fans badges, which will form part of future competitions.
CBC’s new app is part of its Love the Craft, Love the Journey campaign, which is aimed at encouraging people to learn about and appreciate craft beer, while at the same time showcasing the amazing journey from South Africa to Sweden that CBC went on to create their new Pale Ale, and asking fans to support CBC by choosing to take CBC’s new can on their own journey.
