16 Dec 12oz vs 16oz cans: Is It Even A Question? Yes. Yes It Is
A brewery has a lot of decisions to make when they open up. What are their house beers? How many taps will they have? Will they have guest taps? Will they serve food? And what the heck do they do about packaging and distribution, if anything at all???
Plenty of breweries get by never distributing their beer out of house. Plenty come to mind even just here in Indianapolis alone. Some don’t ever plan for it as part of their business model. There’s no right or wrong take on this; that’s just how breweries exist within this industry. But plenty of other breweries have and will come to a point in their lives where they will make a decision about distribution. Bars and brewpubs only? Bombers? Bottles or cans? (Cans. Definitely cans.)
For a brewery that chooses cans, that opens up even more questions! Four-packs? Six-packs? 12 ounces or 16 ounces? I’m a 12oz man myself. Easier to drink in one sitting, you can fit more in a drawer in your fridge saving space for food (or more beer like in my fridge), you don’t have to worry about warm beer at the end, and they’re easier to pack in a cooler for starters. The size question is an interesting one, and not one where there’s clearly a right choice, so I assembled a small group of writers to the Indiana On Tap writers room (my email inbox) to ask them what they prefer: 12oz cans or full pints? Their responses are as follows!
Cory Huffman: 16 ounces. Something about buying a “growler” in the capacity of convenient aluminum cans. Have 1 or 2 today. And the others tomorrow! Plus it’s an extra 4 oz. Price? Fuck that noise. I work so I can get what I want.
Stephanie Rich: I prefer a 16oz can. From a business standpoint, I can sell a 16oz can for what I sell a draft pint for. Personally, I prefer glass bottles instead of cans.
Sarah Burns: I prefer 16 oz cans. I like feeling like I’m having an actual pint.
Mathew Muncy: Canned beer is already a downgrade from its kegged breathern, so I want more beer for my hard-earned money. 16oz can is the best way to go as it’s the same size as a pint, which means it’s a better return on your investment. If I’m going 12oz, then it’s either in a bottle or whatever crappy macro beer that’s on sale.
Laura Menard: I tend to prefer 12oz cans mostly because smaller serving size means I can indulge in more variety - kill one beer, try a different one. It’s easier to finish your beer while it’s still cold, and the coozy:can ration is better.
Drew Ogborn: 12oz for me are better. They give me a chance to try more than one beer. I’m drinking 16oz cans when I ant to get drunk. When I’m drinking from 12oz cans I tend to enjoy that beer more.
So there you have it. Or do you? I sure don’t. In the discussion over what we preferred or thought was better, plenty of good points were made for both. It’s such a good thing, then, that so many great Indiana breweries produce both! Let us know what you prefer in the comments below!
No Comments