Coppertail Brewing Co. plans to say buh-bye to 12-ounce bottles. In March, the Tampa brewery will start selling its signature line of packaged beer in cans of various sizes at bars and grocery stores statewide.
According to a statement from Kent Bailey, president of Coppertail, the shift to cans from bottles came about for a couple of reasons.
"First, giving our customers what they have been asking for, and second, taking the quality of our beer to even higher levels," Bailey said. "Our new canning line packages beer with lower levels of beer spoiling oxygen than we've ever seen, so our beer will stay fresher, longer. When you add that to the other benefits of cans, there's no question it's the right way for us to go."
This change won't just protect Coppertail's packaged beer from oxygen, either.
Going from bottles to cans offers the obvious bonus of greater portability (hello, more outdoor venues). And the brewery says the shift will also block the ultraviolet light that can pass through bottles and degrade beer, increase rates of recycling and reduce the amount of fuel needed for shipping.
What's more, Coppertail will use boxes to bundle their six-packs, skipping the plastic rings that typically hold 'em together.
"Our 6-pack boxes will help keep plastic out of our waterways and provide some protection to the cans," Bailey added.
Coppertail rolled out best-selling brews such as Free Dive IPA and Unholy Trippel in bottled six-packs in 2014. But soon, Unholy and Free Dive will join "core four" compadres Night Swim Porter and Independent Pilsner in six-packs of 12-ounce cans.
Four-packs of 16-ounce cans are expected to feature seasonal and limited selections, too.
Even better? The brewery will distribute 12-ounce cans of its most popular beer, Free Dive, in 12-pack form for the first time.
