Some Oskar Blue's Best Brews...
Ok Beerlings…this has been on my mind since a few nights back when I became a witness to beer douchery (that’s Josh’s term from Lost In The Beer Aisle by the way. I can’t take credit for it) at my local Whole Foods Market.
I’m going to try and make this quick….
I think we’ve all been hearing about beer snobs and beer douchery more and more recently. I see it on fellow beer blogs often, and see it in person plenty. What’s shameful is that these aren’t just random thoughts that bloggers are writing about. These are ACTUAL experiences that people witness or hear about first hand. You expect these type of things from wino’s, and even in their culture it’s starting to tone itself down a bit.
So what the hell is going, what was MY experience, and why are you a beer douche if you don’t drink canned craft beer?
First the Experience…
I was looking for Oskar Blue’s Mama’s Yellow Pils a few days back and it was out of stock just about everywhere I went. It hit me that the Whole Foods by me usually has it in stock and so I hopped in my truck and headed over there (and yes, it’s common place for me to spend hours trekking the city looking for a particular beer).
As I walked through the beer aisle and stopped where the Oskar Blue’s stuff usually is I noticed another guy talking to a Whole Foods Market employee. The employee actually knew his stuff and knew his beers well and was giving the other guy suggestions on what to buy and try (per the other guys request of course). When the employee got around to recommending Dales Pale Ale, Gordon and Gubna (all Oskar Blue’s stuff by the way) the other guy was almost taken aback as if he was offended and responded with “no thanks, I’m not spending good money on canned beer!”
With an eye roll and a bit of anger that was only intensified by the fact that this place too was out of Mama’s Yellow Pils…I made my way back to the truck.
It looks kinda dirty..... 
What the hell is going on and why you’re a beer douche if you don’t drink canned craft beer…
So whats going on here recently? Why does it seem that everyone and their mother are turning into beer snobs and engaging in “beer douchery”?
It’s nothing new unfortunately, but as more people get online, blog about beer, Tweet and Facebook their experiences, it reaches us quicker and seems to surround us like never before. What’s upsetting is seeing how this has become almost a constant all around us. But then again, such is life.
Pretty, pretty beer in a can!
So okay, WHY the craft beer in can douchery issue?
Easy. This isn’t the first time I’ve been witness to it, but it was the last straw before I had to say something about it.
Look, I’m going to be pretty damn strait forward about it right now…
If you refuse to try any craft beer BECAUSE it’s in a can and you feel that it carries some stigma or some image of a fat man in his boat while on the lake and slamming down another Bud, then you’re simply a beer douche. I’m sorry, I’m not even going to try be politically correct here.
There is nothing wrong with a guy/gal enjoying a Bud if that’s what they enjoy. Sure it taste like donkey balls, but I’ve tasted plenty craft crap too that’s held up on a pedestal.
…and…
What the hell does any of “part A” above have to with canned craft beer? Get over yourself already, you’re not as special as your mommy once told you.
No one is saying you have to like what you try. But refusing to try beer because it comes in can even exceeds beer douche status…in fact I think it deserves another phrase…a more common term such as “an ignorant idiot”. Ya that fits well. I like that.
There are some seriously good beers out there that come in cans, and there are many advantages to taste, cost, appeal etc to canned craft beer. Of course I love my awesome bottled craft beer, but I think I love the more driven nature behind the canned craft beer movement even more.
So here’s a question too all the Beerlings out there….
Can you really…I mean REALLY and TRULY consider yourself a lover of great beer and love and respect all the passion, effort and people behind the craft beer culture….
…IF you do things like refuse to try beer just because it comes in a can?…
To great beer, in great cans! Cheers!
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent post. Cheers to non-douche-baggery!
-Lost
Lost recently posted..So Im moving to Vegas
@Josh “AKA: LOST”
Thank ya!
It’s been on my mind for a while and after seeing this, it had to be said.
P.S. Hope you enjoy your canned brews coming in
P.P.S If you’re every going to actually move to Vegas, I think you can fill the niche there rather quickly and easily. I am of course talking about opening up a craft brewery in the area…perhaps canning your beer?
Ilya
Well said my friend! Viva la can! I am going to post a link to this in an upcoming post on my site. Cheers!
@Russ
Thank you so much! Thank you for your comment, the time you took to read the post, and posting a link to the post in the near future. I REALLY appreciate that!
P.S. First time I’ve seen your site….I LOVE IT!
Regardless of how its stored, assuming its lined and the container doesn’t effect the flavor go ahead. But, as we recommend (as do the boys over at Beer Advocate) pour your beer into a glass. The proper glass and the proper pour can go a long way to releasing aromas and flavors. The reason some beer snobs are against cans is because it encourages skipping the pour. If you get good beer, it deserves good head and some release, so give it a pour.
Become a Pour Star: http://www.beernewb.com/go/45zr
@BeerNewb
Thanks for reading through and the comment!
I actually agree with you on many points here and back on Facebook.
It’s very true that pouring a beer into a glass is almost always the better way to go, and it’s a VERY rare occasion that you’ll see me drinking right out of the can. Unless I’m out on the water, it’s at least in a plastic cup.
So yes, I agree with you there 100%.
Where I tend to disagree a little bit, is that many beer douche’s and snobs it seems lean another way as to why they refuse to drink canned beer. It has far more to do with it simply being in a can and the “image” behind that, than anything to do with a glass. I’m talking about the guys who drink craft beer to “make statements” and so on.
Though I’m aware that you said “some beer snobs” so it’s not an all out stab at your point there or anything
.
Speaking of glasses…I know those that refuse to drink beer out of particular glasses for one of many idiotic and insecure reasons. That’s another story entirely though!
Beer Newb thanks for the comment, the insight and great debate as always!
It’s much appreciate! Always will be!
Ilya
I see nothing wrong with craft beer in cans. In fact, one of the cardinal rules of beer snobbery is to allow as little light as possible to touch the beer before pouring it, to avoid the risk of skunkiness.
Would it not follow then, that a can, which allows no sunlight through at all, be an ideal container?
The other point: I live in Florida and like to take beer along to to the beach, the pool or on the boat. Cans make a lot more sense because:
1. They are lighter, making the cooler easier to carry.
2. Some beaches and hotel pools allow you to have alcohol, but not bottles.
3. Clean up is easier.
4. You take a cooler full of bottle on a boat, you run the risk of ending up with a cooler full of broken glass and a beer/water/ice mix.
I think Oskar Blues has already proved that canning a great beer does not affect the taste, and I’m glad to see other craft breweries adopting it.
@Gerard
You see…THIS is why I wanted you to chime in on this one especially.
You’ve brought up some idea’s and issues here that I should have included in the post itself. In fact I might have go ahead and make some edits in fact.
I didn’t even think about the fact that your typical “all knowing” beer snob will attempt to debate about and choose bottles or containers that let in as little light as possible. This makes for an EXCELLENT point in a debate that’s sure to come in the future next time I run into this situation.
Having the insight from some one who lives around the beach culture is awesome as well
. Here in North Texas, we have lake culture…but it goes hand in hand.
And yes…Oskar Blue’s along with many other canned craft have proven a cans worth. Totally agreed!
Thanks SO MUCH for the comment Gerard! As always, you’re insight and knowledge far exceeds that of my own.
Ilya
Could not agree more on the ease of cans. I’m a big fan of the Indy 500. We say that race day is a marathon and not a sprint, so going with watered down beer gets the job done. But, if you want to pepper in some relief from bloating, or for shorter days, it’s nice to take a better beer. However, there is no glass allowed. Same goes for the public beaches around Chicago. For years this has handcuffed us from taking a decent brew in a cooler. Thanks to Cans, next summer will be much easier to get around.
Oskar Blues is leading the way, but there are plenty of places trying it. Half Acre here in Chicago just bought a brand new canning machine and added a couple of tanks. keep an eye out for them.
Craft beer in cans is becoming part of a growing trend. Besides the obvious cost cutting advantages, storing beer in cans preserves beer longer – no invasive light affects cans like bottles – in addition to acting as a “mini keg.”
Oskar Blues brews quite an array of outstanding beers in cans like Gubna, Gordon Imperial IPA, and Dales Pale Ale. In addition, Keweenaw Brewing crafts an excellent Schwarzbier called Widow Maker. It reminds me of a lighter version of the superb Sprecher Black Bavarian.
Cheers,
Bill Z.
http://www.billysbeerblog.com/
@Bill Z
Fantastic points! I’ve often noticed that my canned beer’s far out live (in taste) my bottled brews and their also easier to manage. Again, I’m not the person preaching that we move away from bottled beers…hell I LOVE my bottles! Just that we toss this douchery aside and see the light in this debate.
Oskar Blue’s it seems has make it very clear above all other breweries that can their beers….it’s not only possible and profitable…but it makes for some seriously good beer.
I haven’t had the chance to try anything from Keweenaw Brewing. In fact I’m not sure if we even get any of their line down here in Texas, but I’ll have to look into it. That style though sounds damn near perfect for the August climate we’re going through here now.
Quick question though…
Your comment on a can acting like a “mini keg” almost…how close does it really get? Especially the pressure that it’s usually kept under etc. I don’t have enough knowledge to debate it, but would love to know more. Especially if canned beer is so close to kegs
. Haven’t had the pleasure of trying any canned craft on tap yet that I can remember…
Thank you tons for the comment and your time! Keep those beer/zoo days going!
Ilya
I had a brief convo with a clerk at my wine and beer store today…although Modelo is an otherwise macrobrew and not really worth my time…he stated that the Modelo Especial in a can was better than that in a bottle. He didn’t seem to know much about beer but i would have to commend him on that statement. Canned beer is good, but the thing about canned beer is in how you pour it into a glass. The lip of the can releases a lot more carbonation than a bottle would but it keeps the beer up to standard of what it was brewed to taste like better and longer than that of a bottle. Like Miller has the new vortex bottles which in my opinion is a great design even if the beer tastes like shit. The bottle was meant for longevity as well as preserving the taste while and after pouring into your preferred drinking apparatus…LOL. Beer in can is tasty as any in a bottle. Bottles are traditional but hell, it’s 2010!! Technology and sheer common sense says put beer in a can, learn how to pour like a beer lover, and savor every drop you “can”! Support American beer and support Beer in a can…besides….canning made it possible for all of our ancestors to survive every climate change…although some died because of chemicals in the liner…we got it right now…lets start the revolution….NOW!!
@Jeff
I agree, Modelo isn’t a beer I look at very often unless it’s between that and a Pacifico…but I completely forgot that they came in cans too. You’re right, he should be given a pat on the back for that as most people seem to always gravitate towards the bottles immediately for the reasons in this post amount others. Sometimes it’s not even beer douchery as much as it is marketing and perception through the years.
You’re also right on the pour I think. I personally don’t have actual science to support it, but I’ve taken a notice to that myself. Canned beer overall holds more carbonation and pressure that a bottle if I’m not mistaken.
I haven’t paid much attention to Miller’s vortex pour bottles though with that beer I doubt it will have an effect even if I can enjoy one from time to time
.
AND I do actually think that canning beer is just as traditional here in the states as is bottling it. Think about the history of it and what canned beer is tied to here. Especially up north I think.
I love the point about canning being a savor for many in the past too!
Jeff, awesome as always! Thanks for such a passionate and insightful comment! Makes me want to add some more stuff to my post.
Ilya
two words: Ten Fidy
comes in cans, rules the freaking world
I hear AMAZING things about Oskar Blue’s Ten Fidy! I hear that Damn That’s Good Beer!
But it’s seasonal with them, so I still haven’t had the chance to try it yet. I can’t wait to get my hands on some as soon as they start brewing again and I get some down here in Texas.
I would easily say that Oskar Blue’s has paved the canned craft beer road…
Thanks for the comment! Much appreciated!
Ilya
I drink craft beer from cans on occasion but there is still a harmful chemical in the liners (see http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/04/porr/beer_cans_and_bpa). I’d be much more enthusiastic about the can idea if a BPA-free liner was developed/adopted. I’m well aware that this remark probably makes me even more douche-y than the douches you’re targeting.
@Doug
Thanks for the comment and another point of view that’s totally different than what most ever talk about with beer in cans. Hell, I never even think about that as an issue.
First off, the link doesn’t work….well it does, it just doesn’t go to anything on that site. Can you check it again please? I would love to read it.
Secondly, I honestly haven’t heard much talk of there still being harmful liners in the cans these days. Is this a proven thing that can be widely tested, or is it a theory or idea that comes out of one or two small sources type of thing?
And na…you don’t seem like a beer douche just because of that concern. Your concern is over the safety of the cans and how they might impact your health, not because it’s simply canned.
Ilya
Sorry, the final parenthesis got caught up in the URL. Here: http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/04/porr/beer_cans_and_bpa
@Doug
I read through the article you linked to just now, thank you for that. I’m sure many will find that pretty interesting. Although I have to say that still…a lot of this still seems like hearsay and a couple small arguments for that case just blowing up over the internet as usual.
I haven’t really been able to find anything solid or anything proven on this.
Ilya
I’m not modest when it comes to me telling people how it is in regards to beer. I manage the top rated beer store in N. Texas and I am damn proud to actually be able to say that I am a N. Texas beer pro, I want people to know who they are dealing with and let them understand that they can trust me. I DO re-educate people on beer at the store and break all the beer myths that I possibly can and one of those myth’s is in regards to canned beer.
The can is the perfect vessel for beer, plain and simple….Some say it taste metallic….then STOP drinking it out of the can, ofcoarse your going to taste metal when it’s touching your lips. I like to remind people about how beer is brewed….It’s Brewed in metal, it ferments in metal, it’s usually aged the same way unless it is cask or bottle conditioned. The can prevents Zero light and Zero oxygen from getting in and besides, the can is lined. Some of the best brews I have had are in cans, such as Oskar Blues and Southern Star Buried Hatchet Stout and lets not forget about some Surly brews as well as many others.
In my opinion, the people that think the can is cheap probably think Stella Artois is “Fancy”, think Blue Moon is some of the best stuff on Earth beer and also put a lime and some salt in their Coronas. The way I look at it, if you have to add something to your beer it wasn’t brewed right….you want a little citrus bitter in a beer, buy a hoppy pale ale or a freak’n IPA…….just my thoughts. I can’t stand beer snob’s, lol. I also have to re-educate people on the difference between a beer snob and myself…..that’s another story.
Cheers!
@Stephen
Hey Stephen! First of all, sorry it took so long for me to reply, I’ve just not had a real chance to sit down in front of the computer.
I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU JUST WROTE!!!
That should be put into a “beer bible” somewhere, seriously! I read it all with a smile on my face.
While I can’t jump to the conclusion that if you don’t like beer out of a can then you’re probably a Stella fan (that shit is horrible by the way), I can fully support the argument that beer snobbery is something that just drives me freakin’ mad. I see no reason for it to exist, it pushes people away, and worst of all it prevents one from truly enjoying the great beers of the world.
Aside from all the incredible benefits that canned craft beer give you, I admit that I’m slightly biased TOWARDS canned beers for the reason that they’re against what’s considered normal in the craft beer industry…though that is rapidly changing. They still come with a slight stigma, and hey…this is just me but I like the way empty cans look on my shelves a bit better than bottles.
Question for you though!
How does one approach aging canned craft beer, if at all? Is it possible to age in cans? Anything different you have to do in the approach?
Thanks Stephen! I truly love your comments and answers!
P.S. To those reading this and in the area, Stephen manages Kegs & Barrels in Plano, Tx and this is where I get just about all my great beer shopping done. Trust me when I tell you…that if you start chattin with Stephen (and you should) you’ll be there for a while. AWESOME store, and AWESOME people that work there. LOVE this place!
Ilya
In regards to liners being harmful, as far as I know it is food grade plastic and I have never had any adverse effects nor do I know of anyone that experienced anything bad. Besides, seems like everything is harmful in some manner these days, even the food we eat and the water we drink…..
@Stephen
Likewise here as well, I have yet to hear of any problems that result from this issue in any way. Sounds to me like one of those topics or concerns that get started on a forum somewhere and then spread around and just get way out of hand.
And yes, it does seem that way that everything now a days is harmful. Technically the water I drink now a days can kill me. If that’s really the case, then screw it…might as well enjoy myself until I explode from natural gas packed water huh?
Ilya
I do not see a reason why it would be any different aging beers in the can then from aging in bottles as long as you know which ones to age.
I’m pretty sure that life causes death, without exception. So might as well enjoy it with a beer in your hand.
@Gerard
I always love your insight Gerard! Got a good laugh out of it…and I could not agree more!
Ilya
@Jake
AWESOME comment and some great points based on experience!
Being here in North Texas we don’t have any beaches….obviously. Other than lake beaches of course and even then yes…there are restrictions. Truth be told I never even thought of the things mentioned by Gerald and you. I should have added that in the post…perhaps next one
.
Agree Jake! Oskar blue’s might be the big hitter right now with canning craft beer, but there are a lot of great players in the market right too and up and coming one. I would LOVE to see some of the more popular craft breweries start canning some of their beers. DogFishHead, Rouge, Stone, Saint Arnold, and Goose Island just to name a select few.
Thanks for the comment! GREAT as always!
Ilya
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