March 2011

As a way of containing and distributing beer, the humble bottle is a far from perfect solution. When considering its vulnerability to light & heat , not to mention the cost implications of transporting a product that is both weighty and fragile, it soon becomes clear, that frankly, the bottle is a bit shite. By comparison the aluminium can is lighter, more durable, impervious to heat and easy to recycle, and yet overwhelmingly we stick with bottles. Bottles are pretty, they are a great way to present beer and in the absence of a glass are an adequate drinking receptacle. The other major advantage of the bottle is the downmarket reputation that cans have. Cans are cheap to produce and usually contain cheap beer, cheap beer is usually a bit dull and lifeless. Even the biggest of the mass-produced commercial lagers tend not to show cans in their advertising, preferring to go for more aspirational imagery.

So it is somewhat heartening to hear that Scotland’s most infuriating brewery has chosen to relaunch its flagship beer in a tin and for once I honestly believe that this is more than a mere marketing gimmick.

You are probably familiar with Brewdog Punk IPA, which for the last couple of years has been on the forefront of the explosion of American-style pale ales in the U.K. The recipe has been recently tweaked to reduce both the alcohol (it now stands at 5.6% abv) and the hop content. Despite in many ways being dumbed-down and more commercial (it lacks the original’s bite and rough, round-the-edges bitterness), it is a definite improvement. From its shiny new can it pours a brilliant gold, with a fluffier head, the nose is fresher, zestier and greener with more herbal flavours. The palate is of medium weight, creamy and well-balanced with some tropical fruit flavours making their presence felt alongside the usual citrus notes. The finish is clean, light and very refreshing.

It is by a long way the greatest canned beer and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it; EXCEPT true to form, Brewdog have decided to make the cans exclusive to Sainsbury’s, which makes the beer about as punk as Jamie Oliver.