Mt. Antero, 14,269, July 21, 2013

Aluminum "Brew"haha Adjustment

For years I had a hard stance against drinking any beer that came in a can. Not just against the canned version, but against any brewed beverage that sold a variety in a can.

It’s not a dislike of aluminum or some kind of social justice protest. It was the fact that all the mass produced garbage beers come in cans, so that was a very solid line I could draw in my mind about my tastes. It comes in a can; it must be from Miller, Coors or Busch/Bud.

In other words, I am a beer snob.

I only drink micro brewed beers. It’s a taste thing. I don’t drink a lot, so it’s never been about buying mediocre to bad beer to save some cash. It’s rare if I finish a six-pack in a weekend. If I do, I’m usually camping.

Due to some recent changes in the industry, I’ve had to adjust (not remove) my personal policy.

I’m still a beer snob.

But I’ll drink a select few beers out of a can.

Micro brews are distributing beer in cans. Avery Brewing in Boulder, OskarBlues Brewery in Longmont and Eddyline Brewery in Buena Vista, Snake River Brewing in Jackson Hole to name a few.

Two times this summer I’ve bought canned bear. The convenience of a can is so nice and the beer that comes in it makes it even more special.

(To let you in on a secret… last year I bought wine in a box. Not that Franzia crap, but a Bota Box.   It’s nice to toss the Bota Box (500ml) in a backpack or in the camper and not have to worry about shards of broken glass. Bota makes some drinkable wines, which makes the convenient box tolerable.)

And that is what this is about, drinkability.

I don’t like every micro brew or every wine. But there are enough varieties in cans that I can find something I’ll appreciate. Though, it seems most of the liquor stores in my area are heavy on the IPAs in cans. Very few other types of beer are carried. But if I’m only looking for canned beers a few times a year, I think I can manage to drink a cold IPA by the river or on a hike. When I’m done I can crush that can and have more room in my pack. Cans are easier to open, especially when you forget the church key. (A Suburban seat belt does kind of fit around a bottle cap when the need arises.)

My wife had the same mindset about canned beers. When I brought the cans home she couldn’t believe it. She tasted, and instantly disliked it. It was a Pale Ale. She hates pale ales. She has a very limited taste for beer. She loves the wheats. After a few minutes of conversation, she admitted she would drink a White Rascal out of can if it was cold and she was at the end of a trail or on a 14er. I think she might even drink a canned Rascal on the patio, but not sure yet.

A well brewed beer dug out of the bottom of the ice chest on a hot day is a wonderful pleasure. It’s even better when that beer comes in a bottle. (If nothing else, bottles are easier to stick in a koozie.) With quality beer now being distributed in cans, I’m willing to shift my thought process just a bit for some hoppy goodness and a bit of convenience.