Dive Brief:
- SweetWater Brewing has revamped the packaging of its 420 Extra Pale Ale and SweetWater IPA, with 100% recyclable 12 ounce and 16 ounce aluminum cans.
- The cans are manufactured by Ball Corporation and will feature blue tabs and Eyeris Graphic-printed labels, which is a high-definition, photo-quality technology.
- Cans will be offered statewide throughout the company's home state, Georgia, for the first couple of months and then be sent out throughout the rest of SweetWater’s Southeastern footprint.
Dive Insight:
The growth of craft beer is undeniable, particularly after this expansion that will adopt cans as yet another form of distribution. SweetWater's founder, Freddy Bensch, explained the logic behind offering cans: "Out of loyalty to our beer and our customers, we knew we had to take this process to the next level with can-conditioning to ensure folks will enjoy the same fresh, great-tasting beers they’re accustomed to from SweetWater."
The press release explains all the benefits that cans can offer. They enable people to take the beer to places where glass bottles aren't allowed, like stadiums, some beaches and parks, and fishing areas, and the cans are 29% more likely to be recycled than bottles. They also help maintain the taste of beer, as the metal doesn't allow light and oxygen to penetrate the packaging. For all those reasons, plus the lighter weight and stackable nature of cans making them more economical to transport, we're likely to see a lot more craft beer in cans in the future.