While its introduction in 1935 was hesitant, the beer can eventually became a global standard. Often (and unjustly) reviled, the humble metal casing has found admirers among the world's microbrewers as a canvas for colorful designs and serious messages.
As with all proper beer innovations, it started with a German: In this case, Gottfried Wilhelm Krüger played a decisive role in introducing the beer can, even though he did not live to see its introduction. But the brewer from Sulzfeld,Baden-Württemberg did found the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company in Newark, NJ back in 1858 – the first company to sell canned beer. The technology had been around for a long time, but it was the Krueger brewery that first partnered with the American Can Company to bring suds to the masses.
Even so, the Krueger brewery took a very cautious approach to introducing an alternative to kegs or bottles. In 1933, the first tiny test batch was canned, initially for employees only. It was not until January 1935 that beer cans were officially launched; and even then, Krueger was apprehensive. Legend has it that they chose their most distant wholesaler for the test run, all the way in Virgina: Thehope being, if the beer can flopped, word would not get as far as New Jersey.
But the opposite was the case! Since the practical opening mechanism - officially known as the "pull tab" - was added around 1963, nothing could stop the triumph of the mini keg. Lightweight and both smaller and more robust than bottles, cans became extremely popular among small eateries and food stands, although they were still plagued by image problems. Many continued to complain about their metallic taste or their ecological footprint, in additon to a "working class" image.
For connoisseurs, however, cans have numerous advantages: They're far easier to cool, and, unlike green bottles, they protect their contents from UV radiation and thus from going "skunky".
Either way, consumers were sold: Cans account for 40% of the overall market in Switzerland and around 30% of all beers in Austria. The newly introdued deposit on all beverage cans in Austria will do little to change this.
The technical advantages of the "miniature keg" are one thing, but cans also contributed significantly to the rise of craft beer: In the battle for consumer's attention, memorable packaging was a tool that some players wielded to great effect. For the Welsh brewers Tiny Rebel, the can design for their red ale, "Cwtch" drove at least as many sales as the taste. The presentation – "colorful, psychedelic swirls, inspired by the 1960s of the Austin Powers films" – stood out in a sea of generic can. This is even more evident with "Gamma Ray": The English beer from Beavertown is packed with aromatic hops, and clearly visible from afar thanks to the space comics printed on the can.
Austrian breweries have long since recognized this advantage. The biggest success story comes from Bad Radkersburg, where Vasja Golar has been using cans since the early days of his craft brewery, Bevog: "It suits all outdoor activities, parties and festivals, as it takes up little space, is practically indestructible and can be cooled quickly." To Golar, craft beer cans illustrate an entire lifestyle: In his case, Fantasy figures have been giving his cans the desired pop since 2016.
Serious issues can also be conveyed well. Oregon's Rogue brewery showed this in 2022 with an India Pale Ale called "F*#K Putin"; the proceeds go to Global Giving's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. Vasja Golar, on the other hand, raised awareness for endangered species with Bevog's "Extinction is forever!" series.
Three years ago, Carinthian brewers Alois Planner and Klaus Feistritzer of the craft brewer Loncium also embraced the can with a brightly colored six-pack called "Tribute to the '70s". Even after 90 years on the market, innovations can still be made, for example with a new format for Austria. Martin Wohlkönig was directly inspired by the US market when he switched from banker to brewer. His Braukollektiv Zaunkönig not only cultivates unconventional recipes such as a lavender-honey weizen, but also fills them in 14.9 oz. cans. After all, you should have enough of a good beer for a fourth or fifth sip. Wohlkönig calls his bottlings "Premium-Blech" ("premium tins"), making the US-standard a true local!
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