Glass bottles and aluminum cans: differences and characteristics

Beyond the different types of kegs, glass bottles and aluminum cans compete to be the ideal beer container. The truth? There is no definitive answer. Each format has its strengths.

Of the two, the glass bottle is the older container. One of its main advantages is that bottling is currently cheaper than canning because bottling machines are less expensive. However, the bottle is permeable to light and also quite heavy. We know that light impairs the taste and smell of beer through its interaction with hops. At the same time, a glass bottle holding a third of a liter weighs 230 grams. In other words, to transport 3 kilos of beer, we need to move around 5 kilos. In this sense, the glass bottle is not very sustainable for exporting, for example.

By contrast, the glass bottle offers other advantages. Among them, it is an ideal format for dark and/or strong beers intended for cellaring and aging. When aging a beer, we are always looking for evolution and slight oxidation. The glass bottle with its crown cap allows this long-term gas exchange. This is especially noticeable in large bottles of 75 centiliters and up. As a curiosity, from a certain volume onwards, glass bottles take their names from kings of the Old Testament. Thus we have Jeroboam, Methuselah, and Nebuchadnezzar, among others.

Compared to the bottle, the can is a more recent container that offers major advantages over glass. It’s no coincidence that more and more breweries are offering their products in this format. The can does not allow gas exchange, is 100% opaque to light and is also lightweight. Does it sound like the ultimate solution? In reality, it also has drawbacks. Aside from being more expensive due to equipment costs, there is a risk that the can will swell and explode as a result of uncontrolled refermentation. Nevertheless, it remains the best format for hop-forward beers, as it preserves their freshness better. It’s even ideal for export, since a 33-centiliter can only adds an extra 15 grams of weight.

As we can see, despite the advantages of the aluminum can, the glass bottle is not going to disappear from the market. Little by little it will be relegated to special editions designed to last, as is the case with wines. Both cans with their eye-catching labels and bottles with their elegant presence will continue to battle it out on the market for many years. And now you know in which case to choose each one.