Chad Melis of Colorado’s Oskar Blues elaborated on why cans are superior to glass when packaging beer—aluminum cans are 100 percent recyclable and require less and less energy to produce when made from repurposed materials. Aluminum chills five times faster than glass, too.
A lot of other breweries are jumping on the canned bandwagon, too. The website craftcans.com lists more than 1,900 styles of canned beer, and that number is growing. Many of these beers will be available at can-only beer festivals this summer. Here’s a sampling of these shindigs.
AmeriCAN Canned Craft Beer Festival
Saturday, May 17
Host: SanTan Brewing Company
Scottsdale, Arizona
This fourth annual festival will offer a craft can award ceremony, live entertainment, food, VIP quarters, a nano-beer garden, beer Olympics, and more than 250 beers in cans.
Burning Can Beer Fest
Saturday, May 31
Host: Oskar Blues Brewery
Lyons, Colorado
It’s the Burning Man for beer drinkers and lovers of outdoor adventure sports. This festival takes place during the Lyons Outdoor Games in Lyons, Colorado, where participants can camp and enjoy brews from more than fifty-five breweries.
Cans Recycled
Saturday, June 28
Host: Guys With Ties
Charlotte, North Carolina
“Who says happiness can’t come in a can?” That’s this festival’s slogan, and its goal is to educate consumers about the environmental benefits of canned beer. Proceeds benefit local charities.
Yes We CAN! Canned Craft Beer Festival
Friday, July 4
Host: RE Sources
Bellingham, Washington
This fourth of July celebration (fireworks included!) will support RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, an environmental nonprofit organization. Twenty breweries will provide canned beer for this event.
CANFEST
Saturday, August 23
Host: Peppermill Hotel & Casino
Reno, Nevada
Now in its sixth year, CANFEST might be the first ever all-canned craft beer festival. “Cans aren’t bad for beer. And we’re here to prove it,” the website says.
CANvitational
Saturday, September 20
Host: Sun King Brewery
Indianapolis, Indiana
This Sun King Brewery festival is back for the second year, with more than forty breweries serving their canned selections, as well as live music and local food trucks.
Canned
Sunday, October 5
Host: Oak Street Draft House
Denton, Texas
On October 5, the Canned indie beer and indie music festival will take place in downtown Denton, Texas. It will feature more than fifty canned beers from more than thirty craft breweries, as well as performances from seven bands—including Menomena and The Hello Sequence.