I don’t know, many studies say that there is no difference in taste but I still like my brew surrounded by glass. The founder of Sam Adams says the same thing. In fact, he’s left millions on the table by refusing to provide his brand to the airlines in cans because he says the taste will be inferior. Any thoughts?
As a man who loves a beer wherever he goes, i’m all for the humble can.
You will never get glass in the hot tub if you drop a can.
It can be crushed to a mere fraction of it’s original size, thus allowing the evidence to be safely stowed in the bottom of the boat, away from the prying eyes of the federales.
It can be heaved into a lake to cool, with no fear of breakage.
LOVE the can. just cracked one, in fact.
LOVE the can. just cracked one, in fact
That’s another reason why I posted. I’m on my 3rd one and after each I become more agnostic on the subject. But the first one…I want it bottled or on draft.
Nipsy makes some very valid points, however I personally prefer my beer out of a glass bottle.
Brett
guinness in cans is hard to beat, though! love the widget!
I agree.
Beer from a bottle is so much better.
The only beer from a can I drink is Guinness and then it has to be poured into a pint glass (and I won’t drink Guinness from a bottle)l. I did for a 6 month period when I was deployed drink Kilkenny from a can (same widget system at Guinness), but by the second month I had acquired a pint glass to drink out of (the things you do to make it more like home).
I stopped dating a guy once because when I went over to his house he offered me a can of beer.
I prefer glass bottles, when available. For two reasons. I think(depending on brand) it tastes better, and the morning after. Same brand, same quantity. I seem so much clearer. Granted this repeated experient was quite a few years ago, but there has got to be something to it.
Isn’t a keg just a big can?? Pour it into a pint glass and it tastes the same to me.
Light is the enemy of good beer. Bottled beer stored in a bright display case is slowly but surely being skunked by the same chemical compounds that make a skunk smell like a skunk. Cans are better than brown glass. Brown glass better that green. Green better than clear.
More: http://www.evansale.com/skunked_beer.html
Also search: Light struck beer
In the US, Pilsner Urquell and many other imports are noticably better from a can.
Drkmattr
Gotta be bottles for me, preferably poured into a nicely chilled stein.
Spot
If we’re just talking about the mass produced Bud Miller or Coors stuff then does it really matter? If we’re talking about beer with actual flavor, it should be consumed from a glass and not from either a can or a bottle. The founder of Sam Adams has also spent a TON of money developing the “perfect” glass to drink it from.
http://comments.samueladams.com/
I need to introduce you to one of my brothers. He gets outraged at the mention of Guinness from a bottle. You also appear more resourceful as he never did figure out how to get a glass his last time over. 
I agree that there is a difference between the bottle and a can, but I have no idea why.
The only time I have ever noticed the difference was with Butwiper… um I mean Budweiser. Out of a can I cannot stand the stuff. In a bottle it meets the absolute bare minimum standard of drinkability.
Cans are for hot summer days when you’re doing an outdoor BBQ.
Any other time I’ll take my beer in a glass, pint sized preferred.
Sam Adams this, Sam Adams that. You know who makes Sam Adams for consumption west of Boston? Miller Brewing Company, right here in Milwaukee, WI. Contract brewing is a bigger part of the industry than Marketing people would like you to know.
Bottles are bad because they let in light (as mentioned above). Even brown bottles. Note that the new guiness bottles are completely wrapped from top to bottom. Cans are probably superior. No light, chill faster, each one a miniature keg. Regardless of can vs bottle, both are pasturized (which I think is the original reason for thinking there was a taste difference). Some beers are ‘cold filtered’ which puts it through ceramic filters to get around this.
Mr. Burns
‘former employee of MBCo’
“I stopped dating a guy once because when I went over to his house he offered me a can of beer.”
…you may in fact be the perfect woman! - that is so amazing it actually brought a tear to my eye…
Dont tell my wife…but I’m in love…
Ron
**Sam Adams this, Sam Adams that. You know who makes Sam Adams for consumption west of Boston? Miller Brewing Company, right here in Milwaukee, WI. Contract brewing is a bigger part of the industry than Marketing people would like you to know. **
I’m well aware of this. Sam Adams was mentioned by the OP so that is why I brought it up. Personally I think Sam Adams is just so so.
**Bottles are bad because they let in light (as mentioned above). Even brown bottles. **
Not all light is bad for beer. The main culprit in the breakdown of the hop oils (skunking) is a specific wavelength of light (I think it is UV light at 450 nm’s). Brown bottles help to block that wavelength of light leading to beer that typically does not skunk. Why brewers still bottle in clear or green bottles is beyond me. Although if you buy a 12 pack/case where the bottles are covered by cardboard you won’t get skunked beer.
**Cans are probably superior. **
The actual vessel the holds the beer should be largely irrelevant. I was talking about how it should be consumed and that is poured into a glass. Now there is a rather large difference even in the way that certain types of beers should be consumed. The American Light Lager (Bud, Miller, Coors) is meant to be consumed as cold as possible. This deadens the persons taste buds and makes them not realize how bad (in my opinion) it tastes. Then some ales are meant to be served at cellar temps. These beers are more like wine in the amount of flavor that they have. Regardless of the type of beer though it should be served in a glass and not consumed directly from a can or bottle (although I do at times drink Bud or Miller straight from the can/bottle, there are no hop aromas or anything else to enjoy in these beers so it isn’t as big of an issue).
Tyrius
homebrewer and “avid” beer drinker (should I even admit that?)
I can’t believe no one has said this yet:
Mmmmm. Beeeeer.
OK. Now to answer the question: If I am buying my beer one at a time (restaurant or bar) I will have bottled beer. If I am buying a case to stick in the fridge it’s usually cans…but it varies. Right now I have six beautiful red and white cans in my fridge. If I buy “good” beer it’s generally bottles.
Guiness bottles now come with the widget so its the same smooth pour as the cans -
The only can’s worth drinking are those with the widget - everything else needs to be served from a bottle!
My favourite used to be Caffrey’s but Coors killed it when they bought it - apparently they also have an agreement with Kilkenny to keep it out of the US…apparently they think it competes with Killians…dont know what they are tasting but the difference is night and day…in favour of the Caffrey/Kilkenny beer.