Beer Can Appreciation Day

Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company

Anyone know what today is?! That’s right friends it’s BEER CAN APPRECIATION DAY.  Thank God for the internet informing us of all the off-the-wall holidays we would otherwise forget…never doubt there is literally a reason to celebrate EVERY day! 

So it’s January 24th and today we celebrate the beer can.  It was on this day in 1935 when the popular adult beverage was first commercially produced and distributed in cans.  It’s a pretty exciting innovation when you think about it.

First let’s talk cans. By the second half of the 19th century, cans had already changed the food preservation game, but it wasn’t until 1909 that the American Can Company attempted to can a brewskie.  The attempt failed. They were still tinkering with the idea and along came the 18th Amendment (Prohibition really rained on their beer-canning parade). Post-prohibition, the can company teamed up with Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company and they developed a coating that prevents the fermented, fizzy goodness from chemically reacting with the tin of the pressurized can.  

Shortly after Krueger released their cans, other American brewers (including Anheuser-Buschand and Pabst) followed suit. Cans revolutionized preservation and distribution of beer. The new packaging was an instant hit and continued to gain popularity in the years and decades that followed. Cans still dominate the domestic beer market, accounting for half of the $20 million industry.

So today we take a moment to appreciate the beer can! Space saving—they’re so stackable! Way less breakable than glass and cans get cold quick! Once the can is chilled, its easy-peasy to pop open and ENJOY!

It was a cold, rainy day here in DC...perfect chili weather! And what pairs better with hot chili than a cold beer?! NOTHING. I decided to celebrate this festive occasion with 12 oz. of “The Public Pale”.  The Public is a flagship offering from one of my favorite local brewers, DC BRAU.

Cheers, nerds! HOPPY Beer Can Appreciation Day!