USA, TN: Jackalope Brewing Company starts canning

Jackalope, the local brewery that opened in 2011, has been selling its beer exclusively in kegs to bars and restaurants or serving it on draft at its taproom.

On December 16 co-founder and CEO Bailey Spaulding announced that the company started putting its craft brew in single servings, but instead of bottling six-packs, it's canning them, according to Nashville Scene.

Though many people consider longneck bottles more elegant, aluminum cans are gaining ground among fans of craft beer, for reasons of flavor, economics and environmentalism.

"Cans are a more stable container for your beer,” Spaulding said in a release. “They block light, so the beer won’t ‘skunk’ the way it would in a bottle." Aluminum is also lighter, easier to transport and more desirable in the recycling market than glass.
Jackalope started the canning process on December 16, using the services of Mo and Carl Oekler at Toucan Mobile Canning. The Oeklers bring their mobile system to breweries, producing about 10,000 cans per run. The service helps small breweries start canning without the capital expense of purchasing equipment.

The first Jackalope beer selected for canning is the Thunder Ann American Pale Ale, which will be available soon at craft beer retailers and the Jackalope taproom. More beers will be canned in the future, Spaulding says.

18 December, 2013