Skip to main content

The future of craft beer is the digitally printed can (and why that’s a really good thing)

The next big thing for craft beer might just be the digitally printed label

Ferment Brewing beer.
Ferment / Ferment Brewing

Craft beer is one of the fastest-evolving industries out there. One minute the sector is dreaming up new styles like the Cold IPA, and a moment later it’s designing new hop hybrids. In the States, we’re nearing 10,000 craft breweries, meaning it could not be a better time to seek out and enjoy a good local beer.

Ferment Brewing Company is based in beer-centric Oregon, specifically Hood River. The brand is on the small side, as so many players in the craft beer sector are. That said, the company often takes matter into its own hands when it comes to producing a great beer.

Recommended Videos

The little guys simply don’t operate like the big beer corporations do. The budget is much smaller, and so too is the scale. So when it comes to canning and labeling a new round of beers, it doesn’t always make sense to go the conventional route. Enter the digitally printed can, the next big thing in craft beer.

The future of craft beer

“Digitally printed cans are the way of the future for small craft breweries like Ferment,” says Jen Peterson, director of operations at Ferment. “Breweries our size often resort to applying plastic labels to 16-ounce blank cans to keep things nimble, but unfortunately, these labels contaminate the aluminum recycling stream. Digitally printing our label art directly onto the can solves the recycling problem and works well with our smaller packaging runs. It’s very exciting to have our year-round beers in this packaging. You’re going to see a lot of breweries make this switch soon.”

This kind of printing accomplishes several things for smaller, independent operations. As Peterson mentioned, there’s the environmental side, but there’s also the production side. Ferment and so many breweries do small-scale production runs and therefore avoid traditional labelmakers, as their minimums tend to be way more than what comes down the canning line. Couple that with the fact that breweries are constantly coming up with new brews and having to label them accordingly, and it makes a lot of sense to have a more flexible system.

Ferment’s latest beer releases are done entirely with digitally-printed cans, and other companies are following suit. While less plastic in circulation is always a good idea, this is also excellent news for intrepid beer drinkers. Brewers who adopt this system will feel less restricted by what they brew, able to adjust to consumer preferences, and even launch new styles or experimental one-offs without worrying so much about costs, both environmental and financial.

Digitally printing means no sleeves or plastic wrapping. The look is sharp, and the color options are often more robust because conventional print runs tend to work with just a handful of colors. If Ferment’s latest lineup is any indication, the appearance is just as good as, or better than, the old way.

What’s next for the ever-evolving world of craft beer? Who knows. The industry has already made beer from ingredients brought to space and surprised us with hip new styles like the smoothie sour beer. If we had to guess, the rise of independent malt producers seems like a safe bet, plus the increasing popularity of the digitally printed can.

Cheers to change.

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Can you put vanilla extract in coffee? Here’s why it’s a game-changer
Is vanilla extract or vanilla syrup a better choice?
vanilla extract

Vanilla extract is an ingredient that immediately makes me think of baking -- from vanilla pudding to a simple vanilla birthday cake. Until recently, the thought of adding vanilla extract to coffee hadn't occurred to me. Of course, I've enjoyed a cup of vanilla-flavored coffee many times and used various vanilla coffee syrups. In my coffee research, I recently discovered that adding vanilla extract to instant coffee can enhance its flavor.

While this is true for instant coffee, I wondered how vanilla extract would taste when added to traditional drip coffee drinks. So, can you put vanilla extract in coffee? Here's what to know about using this baking ingredient as a way to upgrade your coffee bar.

Read more
NA beer is surging still
Near beer continues on its impressive growth trajectory
Deschutes NA beer.

The craft beer movement shifts quite a bit. One constant over the last couple of years has been the growth of non-alcoholic beers. No longer do we live in an era of one or two mediocre options at the grocery store. Today, there are options 'a plenty, and a growing number drink a lot like their conventional cousins.

According to reports, the NA beer sector grew a whopping 9% in 2024. This comes in light of the fact that the traditional beer sector is shrinking, albeit to a very small degree. One once was a pretty trivial niche market is expected to account for 2% of the world beer supply soon.

Read more
Oskar Blues dresses up its beer in denim for the summer
A timeless look for some classic ales
Dale's Denim Pale.

Colorado brewery Oskar Blues is bringing back a limited-time favorite with the return of the Denim Dale's line. The release features a couple of flagship beers treated to cans inspired by your favorite pair of jeans. The light summer beers are available now through Labor Day Weekend.

"Last year’s denim beer case was a statement of rebellious independence – and people got it. This year, we wanted to take it even further,” says Aaron Baker, Oskar Blues brand director. “So we wrapped the can itself in denim. It’s a celebration of individuality, utility, and American grit – all things denim and Dale’s share at their core. Whether you’re cracking one open at a dive bar or tossing it in your cooler for a weekend outside, this is a beer that wears its character on its sleeve – or in this case, its can.”

Read more