Raise Your Can! Crown Celebrates Beer Can Appreciation Day

Beer has been a staple for consumers for thousands of years – first brewed by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia about 5,000 years ago. The drink has been consumed from a variety of different types of containers during its rich history, including clay vessels by the Egyptians. Today’s date, January 24th, marks the anniversary of the sale of the first canned beer in the United States in Richmond, Virginia in 1935. Since then, cans have been rapidly adopted by national brewers and microbrewers, with the format accounting for more than half of the $20 billion U.S. beer industry.

Here are just a few reasons why cans have been so well received:

• Cans are lightweight and durable, chill faster and are an ideal fit for on-the-go lifestyles.
• Metal offers a powerful barrier against light and oxygen, two key adversaries of beer, as they can have an adverse effect on flavor and freshness by causing the beverage to get ‘skunked.’
• Beverage cans don’t just look good – they’re something consumers can feel good about buying. Metal packaging is 100% and infinitely recyclable, meaning it can be recycled again and again without loss of performance or integrity.
• Beverage cans have a large, printable surface area that serves as a 360-degree billboard for brands on shelves, which is typically not feasible with other packaging formats.

Visit the Craft Brew section of our website for a few examples of how our customers have leveraged this timeless packaging format to engage consumers and express their unique brand personalities.