10 Reasons to Drink Canned Beer

Memorial Day weekend is around the corner and craft brewers with a can-do attitude are shrugging off the notion that canned beers are thin and uninspired by offering many of their best brews in eco-friendly and portable aluminum packaging. These modern cans are lined with a thin wall of plastic that wards off any tinny flavors, while complete opacity keeps light at bay. Plus, their size and packaging makes them perfect for camping or a trip to the beach. Here are 10 of Imbibe Magazine's top picks.

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21st Ammendment Brewery Brew Free or Die IPA

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San Francisco, Calif. 7% ABV A relative newcomer to the canned beer club, 21st Amendment’s IPA has an aromatic nose of big floral hops and a pleasantly bitter palate to match. Finishing smoothly with loads of creamy malts, this brew will pair with a variety of dishes, from potato salad to chicken skewers.

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San Francisco, Calif. 7% ABV

A relative newcomer to the canned beer club, 21st Amendment’s IPA has an aromatic nose of big floral hops and a pleasantly bitter palate to match. Finishing smoothly with loads of creamy malts, this brew will pair with a variety of dishes, from potato salad to chicken skewers.

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This Canned Beer

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Nah. Cheers.

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For more Memorial Day food & drink tips, check out HuffPost's guide to Memorial Day food, including, recipes, tips, how-to's, and more.

 

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Comments

[Crows]

09:34 AM on 07/26/2010

"These modern cans are lined with a thin wall of plastic..."

Beer in plastic? I wouldn't brag about it.

[kolbpilot]

10:58 PM on 07/20/2010

You know, after reading a little 'factoid' in this article, and one I didn't know at that, I will look at canned beer differently. Don't know if I'll change my drinking habits, but, I'll be more aware. I agree that canned beer tastes equal, if not better than bottled beer. But bottled beer isn't plastic lined.

[Trapster]

08:08 AM on 07/07/2010

You really should question that "thin wall of plastic" note in the article. America is dying a slow, silent death due to plastic elements leaching into food. BPA tainted? most likely....
BEER? belongs in glass!

[zak13]

02:08 PM on 06/28/2010

cant figure out how furious is ranked #1. i even live in minneapolis where it is available. good beer but i think that its probably the least available beer on the list nation wide.

[Gronkie]

09:33 PM on 06/21/2010

I've never heard of any of these beers, and I don't know how they taste, but the cans are pretty cool looking.

[casssax]

03:12 PM on 06/14/2010

When it comes to our environment, a bottle can’t compete: lightweight aluminum can reduce fuel costs of shipping by 35%, greatly cutting down our carbon footprint. The aluminum can is also the most valuable beverage container that can be recycled and it costs less to make a beer can out of recycled cans than out of new aluminum. 40 % of beer cans are made from recycled cans, while only about 20 to 30% of glass is recycled into glass bottles.

I love the Oskar Blues (Ten Fidy, Dale's Pale Ale, Little Yellow Pils...) I don't have any problem finding them in CT.

[poco767a]

05:03 PM on 06/02/2010

I am willing to pay more per beer and drink less.

[Sharkcellar]

08:08 PM on 07/21/2010

I agree with this sentiment. Except I will add "I am willing to pay more for GOOD beer, and drink less."

[Crows]

09:36 AM on 07/26/2010

I agree.

[blueken]

10:24 AM on 06/01/2010

Once upon a time in America beer was brewed primarly by German and Bavarian people.They found out the the Irish and German Catholics wanted to drink more than one beer at a seating. Actually, a lot more beer than one. In order to appeal to the majority of beer drinkers they brewed beers in the pilzner fashion and producing a nice light beer with plenty a nice light mix of hops and malt. It was a beer that you could drink all night and not get indigestion. To this date this light refreshing brew is the number one beer consumed in America. Micro beers came along. They appealed to beer drinkers that consider themselves the beer drinking elite. Micro beers account for a little over 1% of beer consumed in America.

[larry278]

02:41 PM on 05/31/2010

This blog gives the reasons that I quit drinking in 1972. It was a tedious undertaking but it was well worth my efforts & the efforts of my friends who helped me to stop drinking. Canned beer is a crime against nature, not a beverage. Bring me a glass of luke warm iced tea, please, thanks.

[SpikeC]

06:58 PM on 05/31/2010

*shakes head*

[newtom]

11:39 AM on 06/23/2010

poor thing.

[Counterglow]

04:49 AM on 05/31/2010

I'd love to know what chlorine compounds leach out of the plastic liner (along with Bisphenol A) before you get to drink the beer. And aluminum isn't exactly the most "eco-friendly" product, either, unless it's recycled.

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1013.html

[schony333]

12:38 AM on 05/31/2010

I'm sorry but there was no "Budweiser" on that list, and where I come from my flag of red, white and blue matches my beer, and yes I know Bud was sold, but it is still made right here the goooood old us of a!!!...There are 3 things you just don't mess with. 1) a man's beer 2) a man's wife/husband (i'm a liberal) and 3) a man's nose hair trimmer. I think I've said it all.

[SpikeC]

06:56 PM on 05/31/2010

These beers are not only made in the USA, but the profits from them STAY in the USA. "Bud" should not be classified as beer because it made out of rice.

[patg00]

02:18 PM on 06/24/2010

Amen. Rice in beer is just wrong.

[Crows]

09:38 AM on 07/26/2010

"I'm sorry but there was no "Budweiser" on that list..."

They listed good beer.

[imacmadman]

02:20 AM on 06/25/2010

Budweiser ceased being beer before I was born, it is like so much of America, bland and uninspiring as is most mass-market American beer. I wouldn't go near it even when I wasn't legal, I knew even then that there was better beer elsewhere.

Possible exceptions IMO are the heavier, darker beers, at least they don't resemble chilled urine.

[BobABooey]

07:31 PM on 05/30/2010

Where the H3ll is Pabst ?!?!

This article is unadulterated beer snobbery !

[Semper Troll]

04:07 PM on 05/31/2010

I also recently learned (here at the HP), that Pabst was also a Hipster staple. Who knew, I didn't. May be I should start buying thigh fighting jeans also.

[BobABooey]

10:15 PM on 05/31/2010

Yeah, me too man, but it still will not abate me from enjoying my delectable Pabst. Those hipsters will move on to somethin' else here shortly. I'm thinking Capt. Morgan drinks or something of that nature, hipsters love their sugar drinks ! Cheers !

Not a good idea on those jeans brother... : )

[larrykat]

03:42 PM on 05/30/2010

What a useless article. I would wager most of America has no access to most of these beers. I live in the drinking capital of the world (Wisconsin) and the only one of these I see around is of course the Fat Tire. Trying to transport beer drinking into the wine aficionado's element is folly anyway; the very nature of beer is middle-class and and middle-brow. Why ruin the simple enjoyment of an ice cold brew on a hot day with worrying about it's "hoppiness" or "finish" or what food it will complement. Puhleeze. Grab a can of Miller High Life or even one of these micro-brews, sit back in your lawn chair, enjoy the beer and shut the f*** up.

[scottarino]

05:20 PM on 05/30/2010

Ha!

[Counterglow]

04:46 AM on 05/31/2010

Support your local microbrewery. Great beer, local production, keep the jobs and money in the community.

We just lost a medium-sized brewery when one of the big multi-nationals (Labatt, which is in turn owned by Interbrew) bought it, promised to keep it open, shut it down in a year, and gutted the building. They didn't like the competition, so they didn't want somebody buying the brewery and starting up operations again.

[imacmadman]

02:22 AM on 06/25/2010

Absolutely! we have a mirco-brew here where I live and it has some great brews!

Keep your money local!

[davidwayneosedach]

02:23 PM on 05/30/2010

My favorite is the Old Chub - Scottish style beer.

[crustlet]

04:26 PM on 05/29/2010

One very important reason to NOT drink canned beer: BPA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#Human_exposure_sources