You might enjoy sipping a beer out of a glass bottle on a hot spring or summer day. But, if you really want to get the most out of your favorite beer, you’ll drink it out of a can (or poured from a can). That’s because canned beer is far superior to bottled beer for a variety of reasons. You’re probably wondering why this is and which canned beers are the best. All will be revealed below.
Why is canned beer better?
Before we dive into the second question, let’s tackle the first. Canned beer comes in aluminum, which completely blocks out harmful UV rays, ensuring your beer won’t get skunked or oxidized from the sun.
Not only that, but canned beers have a better seal than bottled beers, and less oxygen gets into the beer during the canning process, so they’ll be fresher for longer. You might be wondering if drinking out of metal is worse for you than drinking out of glass. Well, modern cans have a polymer liner, so your beer never really comes into contact with the aluminum anyway. Have I sold you on canned beer yet?
I’ve imbibed quite a few craft beers over the years, and I can tell you that on a hot, sunny day, IPAs, pilsners, and wheat beers just taste better in a can than a bottle. I’m not sure about the science behind this. It might be more of a feeling. But drink a canned beer and a bottled beer side by side while you sit on a deck in the sun, I’m sure you’ll agree with me.
The best canned beers available
Now that you’ve learned a little about the appeal of canned beer, it’s appropriate to find some to add to your late spring and summer garage fridge. Below, you’ll find some of the best canned beers you can find at beer or grocery stores throughout the US, any time of year. Keep scrolling to see them all.
How did I pick the best canned beers?
I picked the best canned beers the same way I select most beers, except for one caveat: all of these beers are available in cans. Otherwise, I picked beers that are timeless and classic, perfect any time of year, and are well-rounded. The types of beer I’d crack open any day of the week, any time of year.
Dogfish Head SeaQuench
There might not be a more aptly named beer than Dogfish Head SeaQuench. This sessionable sour beer is a blend of a Kölsch-style beer, a Gose, and a Berliner Weisse. It gets its unique, crushable, tart flavor from black limes, sea salt, and coriander. This creates a memorable beer that begins with a nose of bright lime, sea salt, and gentle spices. The palate is centered on tart, refreshing citrus and a gentle salinity. The finish is crisp, clean, salty, sweet, and pleasantly sour. This is the type of beer that hits best in summer but is thirst-quenching year-round.
Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
Canned beers don’t get much more classic and crushable than Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale. This award-winning, 6.5% ABV beer is brewed with water, proprietary yeast, four different American-grown hops, and a mix of European and American malts. This creates a noteworthy, hop-forward that begins with a nose of tangerines, grapefruit, caramel malts, and dank pine needles. Sipping it reveals notes of bready malts, caramel, lemongrass, grapefruit, and resinous pine. The finish is crisp, dry, and effortlessly bitter in the best way possible.
Allagash White
Sure, you can purchase this beer in a bottle, but it’s just better in a can. One of the most beloved American beers of all time, Allagash White is a Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with 2-row malted barley, pale malt, red wheat malt, raw white wheat, oats, and Carapils malts as well as a house yeast strain. It gets its hot presence from Nugget, Crystal, and Czech Saaz hops. Added flavor comes from Coriander and Curaçao orange peel. It all starts with aromas of gentle spices, banana, and wheat. The palate is centered on flavors like cracked black pepper, clove, banana, and orange peels. The finish is sweet and spicy, leaving you craving more.
Jack’s Abby Post Shift Pilsner
When it comes to crisp, crushable, sessionable canned pilsners, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of Jack’s Abby Post Shift Pilsner. Brewed with imported Bavarian malts, German hops, and a traditional lager yeast, it begins with a nose of cracker-like malts, fresh-baked bread, honey, and herbal, floral hops. Drinking it brings notes of bready malts, orange peel, lemon zest, fresh-cut grass, and herbal, earthy noble hops. The finish is crisp and refreshing, ending with a gentle floral hop bitterness. This is a great beer for after work, a long day, mowing, or pretty much any nice day.
