E-Malt.com News article: USA, NC: Asheville Brewing Co. cans its first beers

The long-planned canning line cranked up on December, 6 at Asheville Brewing Co. and quickly began packaging the company’s flagship Shiva India Pale Ale, Citizen-Times.com reported on December, 6.

It’s the first commercial beer canning line in Buncombe County, which is home to 10 craft breweries. Next week, Asheville Brewing’s Rocket Girl lager will be canned.

After spinning through the machine, the cans were quickly bundled into six-packs and placed in cardboard cases. They’re now for sale at $7.99 a six-pack at Asheville Brewing on Coxe Avenue and Merrimon Avenue, and once a significant supply is on hand, they will also be sold through area grocery stores and convenience markets.

“I think they will make an amazing impact,” said Mary Eliza McRae, who sells the brewery’s beer through Budweiser of Asheville’s 12-county network in Western North Carolina. “To have the first cans (of Asheville-made beer), it’s a no-brainer and fast-seller with a lot of people. My greatest concern is keeping up with the demand.”

Only one other Asheville brewery — Highland Brewing Co. — sells six-packs of its beers, and it uses 12-ounce glass bottles.

Other area breweries sell 22-ounce glass bottles or half-gallon returnable “growler” containers.

But canned craft beers have become popular in recent years, especially with hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who prefer the lighter-weight format. Cans are also environmentally friendly, said Asheville Brewing President Mike Rangel. “We always liked that package,” he said. “It was a pretty simple choice. But it took us 12 years to be in a position to do it.”

The brewery spent $150,000 on the canning line and 100,000 empty cans, and both took a while to arrive because of high demand. Several North Carolina breweries have already started canning, including Mother Earth, Triangle Brewing and Carolina Brewing, said Asheville Brewing brewer Doug Riley.

“This will give us a product for people who enjoy hiking and camping or going to areas where glass is not acceptable,” he said.

Adding six-packs should also increase the brewery’s profitability. For Highland Brewing, 12-ounce bottles “made a huge difference immediately as far as the exposure our beer had,” said the company’s founder, Oscar Wong. “The bulk of beer is sold in 12-ounce containers.”


07 December, 2011