Craft beer revolution bringing back the humble tinny

THE long overlooked poor cousin of the glass bottle — the aluminium beer can — is experiencing a renaissance as craft brewers embrace the format.

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THE tinny is back.

Long looked upon as the poor cousin of the glass bottle, the aluminium beer can is experiencing a renaissance as craft brewers embrace the format.

Many independent beer makers have either phased out, or are in the process of phasing out, stubbies altogether and installing canning lines in their breweries.

While the experts can quote a raft of reasons why we should all be drinking out of tins, there’s only one that really matters to the average drinker — the beer tastes better.

Pirate Life co-founder Michael Collins said the fact that no light could get to canned beer meant that its flavour dissipated at a much slower rate than bottled beer.

“If you put a big, hoppy beer in a can then that can will slow down the rate that those flavours will deteriorate,” Mr Collins said.

Mismatch Brewing head brewer Ewan Brewerton with cans of Lager.

“There are plenty of reasons why cans are better, but at the end of the day that’s the one reason that matters.”

While some older beer lovers bought up on bad lager in bad cans might maintain that you can “taste the tin”, Mr Collins scoffs at the idea.

“If anyone says that then they’re full of crap,” the Adelaide brewer said. “And you can quote me on that. The way the cans are made these days, there’s no way you can taste anything in the beer.”

Adelaide-based Pirate Life — kings of the Australian craft beer scene — puts all of its nine varieties of beer into cans only, and Mr Collins said the only pushback it had ever received was from top-end restaurants, which initially baulked at the idea of aluminium gracing their white tablecloths.

“But even they have come around to the idea now, and you can always pour it into a glass if you want to,” he said.

Mismatch head brewer Ewan Brewerton (yes, that’s his real name) is in the process of building a sparkling new brewery and hospitality hub in the Adelaide Hills, and he said the advantages of cans over glass were numerous.

“The seal on cans is foolproof,” Mr Brewerton said. “No light can touch a beer in a can, and it’s light that causes skunking (unappealing flavour).” Mr Brewerton said the fact that cans were lighter than bottles helped to reduce shipping costs and the subsequent carbon footprint. “And aluminium can be recycled forever, whereas glass can only be recycled a few times,” he said.