E-Malt.com News article: USA, LA: Abita Brewing to release canned beer

Consumers and loyalists of Abita Beer will have more places to bring their malt beverages starting this week, The St. Tammany News reported on February, 5.

“We want our customers to drink our beer more places and more conveniently,” said David Blossman, president of Abita Brewing LLC.

The Abita Brewing Co. has bottled its beer since it opened in 1986, selling “heritage style” bottled beer, which endorses a shorter neck than most modern beers.

“We like it (heritage style) because there’s less head space for oxygen in the beer,” said Blossman.

But the company has been told repeatedly by customers its beer can’t be taken on some parade routes during Mardi Gras or even on some tubing excursions, Blossman said, and customers are ready for a change.

The company has seven main brews, five seasonal beers and three harvest beers but has selected three recipes for its new canned lineup, including Amber and Purple Haze, which will be sold in packs of 12, and Jokcamo, which will be available in six packs.

Abita Brewing Co., now 25 years old, has since acquired state of the art filling equipment from a vendor in Germany. This equipment was introduced first in Germany, and its second point of interest is in Abita Springs, according to Blossman.

In a new warehouse facility, built specifically for their new package line and filling equipment, Blossman oversees work being done and also works alongside employees from Germany who have spent several months gathering data, tweaking equipment and making sure the machinery runs properly. These machines will be able to produce 400 cans of a beer a minute and 1,000 cases an hour, according to Blossman.

“We went out and got the finest filling equipment so we can lower the air content,” said Blossman.

The company had kept canned beer in mind for years but several priorities halted them from introducing the aluminum, including the cost and the quality.

“There have been some negative connotations to the cans,” said Blossman. “In the years past people have tasted canned beer that taste like metal.”

“The other thing that kept us from doing it in the past was obvious capital,” he added, saying the price of aluminum fluctuates, and depending on the market it can be expensive or economical.

The freshness of canned beer had concerned the public and the brewing company for years, too, but that ideology has changed.

“People are now open to the idea of good beer being canned,” said Blossman.

The company will deliver the newly canned beer to local merchants just in time for the carnival season.

“We’re just coming out for Mardi Gras, but it will be year round,” said Blossman of the canned beer distribution. “It’s a perfect time for us.”


08 February, 2012