Packaging

Packaging for the craft beverage industry

Is Your Can Recyclable? Four Keys to Can Design that Don’t Contaminate the Recycling Stream

posted Aug 18th, 2022 by John Holl

It turns out that cool label on an IPA might actually be a contaminate for the recycling stream.

Over the last two years as draft beer sales have fluctuated around the country, smaller breweries have been scrambling to keep up with packaged offerings, mostly in the form of cans.

Of course, this has led to reports of can shortages and news that some of the manufacturers are working around the clock at existing plants and even building new ones to keep up with a demand that is likely to continue into the future.

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Alternative Packaging – Cardboard and Compostable Can Holders for the Craft Brewer

posted Aug 11th, 2022 by John Holl

The social media posts were simple but eye catching. Familiar cans of Heady Topper, the flagship beer of The Alchemist, in a group of four, and bounded together by a plant-based can holder.

For the Vermont brewery, the switch to compostable packaging from the familiar plastic snap-on holders signaled yet another step in the company’s sustainability efforts. As brewers continue to think about the effects of climate change, waste, and renewable resources, they are looking for alternatives to the norm.

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Ball to Close Can Plants in St. Paul and Phoenix – Delay Opening of Nevada Plant

posted Aug 5th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

Ball Corp. announced yesterday that it will close its St Paul, Minnesota and Phoenix, Arizona can manufacturing plants and delay the construction of a new facility in Nevada.

In a press release detailing second quarter 2022 financial results, the company said the closures were in “response to the deceleration in customer demand late in the second quarter.”

Shares of Ball Corp. plunged after the company posted a loss for its latest quarter and announced the closure of the two plants.

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Carlberg Develops Non-Glass, All Fiber Bottle

posted Jun 30th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

Carlsberg Group has revealed the trial of a new non-glass “bottle,” made from wood fiber and a plant-based lining.

The bottle is 100% bio-based apart from the cap, which is currently needed to ensure the quality of the product, and together the bottle and cap are fully recyclable. The company is also exploring alternative fiber-based bottle caps.

The new trail bottle is set to be sampled to 8,000 consumers across eight pilot markets in Western Europe.

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American Canning Adds New Capabilities to Increase Output

posted Jun 10th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

American Canning has opened a second shrink-sleeve line in their canning plant which will increase their capacity and ability to service craft beverage producers needing cans at lower minimum quantity orders.

The supply of cans for craft brewers has been stressed in recent months due to a number of factors. Cans now make up over 74% of all beer sold in the US, up from 58% 10 years ago.

VP of Operations at American Canning, Russ Spooner, said, “Our company is here to serve the small- to mid-sized craft beverage makers, and sleeving is one of the most valuable options for them to get their brand out there. It’s part of who we are.”

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Reyes Buys Another – Picks Up Northern California Division of Columbia

posted Apr 18th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

The buying frenzy continues as Reyes Beer Division announced last week that it is buying the Sonoma and Marin County division of Columbia Distributing in Northern California.

Columbia, based out of Portland, Oregon, carries a wide range of craft brands in addition to the Reyes-sought-after Constellation portfolio. Columbia has made a number of acquisitions throughout the state of Constellation distributors, leading to speculation that its goal is to be the statewide wholesaler of the Constellation line.

Craft Collective Beer Wholesalers Expand Territory into Vermont

posted Mar 4th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

Craft Collective, an independent craft beverage distributor serving Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine, has announced the expansion of its service area to Vermont in conjunction with a new, local distribution partnership with Vermont Beer Makers.

The Springfield, VT-based brewery has worked with Craft Collective since 2020. Vermont Beer Makers is now poised for growth in their home market with the support of Craft Collective’s experienced team and distribution infrastructure.

Vermont Beer Makers, formerly known as Trout River Brewing Co., is one of 10 original Vermont craft breweries still in operation today.

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Best Practices for Crowler Fills Every Brewer Should Know with Dennis Grumm of Oktober

posted Feb 24th, 2022 by Andy Crouch

In retrospect, crowlers were inevitable. It’s hard to imagine the decades when glass growlers ruled the take away beer scene. They get wet, drop, and shatter easily. They’re awkward, heavy, and a pain to clean. And you usually have to plunk down some decent money to buy one for each brewery or else your local tap finds itself filling a package with a competitor’s name and logo on it.

In comparison, crowlers are clean, simple, and tidy. They’re cheap, easy to fill, and remain an elegant if ironic throwback solution to the vexing issue of how to best serve beer for take away. We recently chatted with Dennis Grumm, CEO and founder of Oktober LLC, a leading crowler manufacturer, to get his take on the best crowler related practices.
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Implementing A Brewery Recycling Program with Dave Morgan of SingleSpeed Brewing

posted Feb 22nd, 2022 by John Holl

Long before SingleSpeed Brewing Company opened its second location inside of a once abandoned Wonder Bread factory in 2017, founder Dave Morgan had been thinking of ways to reduce the brewery’s carbon footprint and focus on recycling and sustainability.

“We were fortunate that we had the opportunity to set it up the way we wanted to do it,” says Morgan of the Waterloo, Iowa location. “We knew there would be waste streams but in designing the plans we could reduce those as much as possible.”
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Interpreting Foam Problems with UC Davis’ Charlie Bamforth

posted Feb 21st, 2022 by Craft Beer Professionals

From having too much of it or not enough, all brewers encounter problems with their beer foam from time to time. In this lecture from UC Davis’ Beer Quality series, Charlie “the Pope of foam” Bamforth discusses how to work backwards to solve your beer foam issues. He’ll cover common problems in dispensing and sanitation, using ultrafiltration to test stability and how to test for negative materials in your foam.

If you enjoyed this discussion, you can access the second part of Charlie’s lecture for free here: https://bit.ly/3pAW0bd

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Refillable and Returnable Beer Bottle Program Takes Shape in Oregon

posted Feb 17th, 2022 by John Holl

There was a time when craft brewers in the United States swore that they would never put their beer in cans. Eventually they gave into consumer demand and now aluminum cans are the portable packaging of choice for brewers across the country. Still, there are some that remain committed to glass and in Oregon a small group of brewers have been working with a company that will distribute reusable bottles.

Gigantic Brewing Co. in Portland, Oregon is one of the breweries in the program and co-founder and brewer Ben Love shared information about the initiative and experience.
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A Cooler Looking Cooler: Dressing up a Jockey Box

posted Feb 15th, 2022 by John Holl

The real workhorses of a beer festival are the humble, beaten and scratched ice filled coolers that have been fitted with taps and stuffed with coils and lines to dispense draft beer. Placed atop folding tables, the coolers become part of a brewery’s display and public-facing image. While important, it is an item that often does not look very good.

Enter the jockey box cover, a display designed to fit over a standard 48-quart Igloo cooler, or similar size from a different brand. Breweries have gone to great lengths to dress up a jockey box, outfitting them with elaborate displays or lights, some have built themes around theirs, depicting items associated with the beers or brewery.
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Now is the Time to Re-Evaluate Your Packaging Graphics

posted Feb 10th, 2022 by John Holl

In the earliest days of the pandemic retail beer sales did remarkably well, with established brands leading the pack. Much of this had to do with the “comfort food” mentality. Customers reached for something familiar in a time of worry, but it also helped by having clear labels, spelling out what was in the can (or bottle) from a distance and without having to hunt for information.

Clear labeling is important to attracting customers and as more breweries have pushed into distribution, coming up with strong messaging has been important. Artistic labels are great and fun to look at but for the general consumer clarity is key.
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Competing Self-Distribution Bills Introduced in Nebraska Legislature

posted Feb 9th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

Two competing bills have been introduced by the same Senator in the Nebraska Legislature, pitting the state’s beer wholesalers with craft brewers.

LB1235, supported by beer wholesalers would allow a small brewery to apply for a special wholesale liquor license to self-distribute up to 500 barrels of beer annually. Brewers could only sell their beer in markets where they do not have a distributor, and could only continue selling their beer through the end of the calendar year before they would be required to relinquish their wholesale license.

The second bill, LB1236 is being supported by brewers. This bill would allow breweries to self-distribute an undesignated amount of beer — brewers have indicated they were comfortable with the cap being set at 1,000 barrels — to retail locations across the state while also maintaining relationships with their existing distributors.

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Making the Most of Waxed Bottles with Matt Morris of The Bruery

posted Feb 8th, 2022 by John Holl

After putting in the time, talent, and passion to create a special beer, brewers will often turn to special packaging for their creation. Be it an anniversary beer, a collaboration, or one that is designed to age or be shared at a special occasion, the presentation matters.

Most often these special beers will be bottled, casting aside the ubiquitous aluminum can to denote a bit of pomp. To go that extra mile, many will choose to wax the tops to add to the experience.

A thoughtful approach to waxing bottles is critical. It is expensive and time consuming, labor intensive, and needs to be done properly to achieve desired results.
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Mobile Canning – Tips on How to Prepare and Get it Right With Roger Kissling of Iron Heart Canning

posted Feb 3rd, 2022 by John Holl

The ever-evolving beer industry means that breweries of all size need to be asking the hard questions on how to best compete for customer dollars. When the COVID-19 pandemic upended draft beer sales more breweries than ever before switched to packaged beer and chose to work with a mobile canner.

It is a good option as taprooms remain closed or operating at limited capacity but there are things to consider before making the call to choose a mobile canner, and benchmarks to meet before that first filling day.
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The Importance and Maintenance of Clean Draft Lines

posted Feb 1st, 2022 by John Holl

As draft beer continues to rebound following the devastating effects of the pandemic, it is critical to keep cleanliness top of mind, and to institute best practices for pulling a perfect pint. Neil Witte, a long-time brewer and draft quality ambassador, is the owner of Craft Quality Solutions, a consulting company, and TapStar, a draught line certification program. He spoke to Beer Edge editor John Holl about standard and best practices every bar and brewery should be thinking about.
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Keg Logistics Acquires HopGistics

posted Jan 7th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

Denver, Colorado based Keg Logistics has announced the acquisition of HopGistics, which is based in Atlanta Georgia.

“We are proud to become part of the Keg Logistics team and look forward to accelerating our growth and strengthening our support for our current customer base,” said Todd Balsley, a partner of Hopgistics and now a member of the Keg Logistics management team.

Keg Logistics was founded in 2011 by Chris Sapyta, the founder of MicroStar Keg Management. Keg Logistics is a provider of keg and equipment financing to breweries and wineries, with over 1.3 million kegs in place globally.

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Ball Corp. Postpones Minimum Order Requirement

posted Jan 7th, 2022 by Tom McCormick

In a dramatic turn of events, Ball Corporation has said that they will temporarily postpone the minimum order requirements that they had implemented on craft breweries last late last year.

Last November, Ball Corporation notified their customers that the minimum order would be moved to five truckloads per SKU for printed cans for non-contracted customers. In addition, Ball said that they would no longer warehouse inventory on behalf of customers.

The Brewers Association issued a statement notifying their members and the industry that “Ball will postpone until March 1, 2022 the implementation of their minimum order requirements for customers that do not have supply contracts with the company, with the caveat that they will not be able to provide those customers with delivery date assurances. Ball also stated that they are open to further engaging with brewers on the distributor supply option to offer additional sources of aluminum beverage packaging.”

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American Canning to Expand Can Manufacturing Capabilities

posted Dec 8th, 2021 by Tom McCormick

American Canning will be expanding operations with the addition of an aluminum can manufacturing plant and second shrink-sleeve line.

The new 155,000 square foot facility will dedicate 3,500 square feet to a second shrink-sleeve line focused on specialty can sizes that will increase production to more than 1.5 million cans per week. The sleeved line will be running by spring while the can plant itself is expected to be operational this August. Initially, 12oz aluminum cans will be manufactured, with plans to add 16oz cans quickly thereafter, moving towards 300 million cans per year.

David Racino, co-founder and CEO of American Canning, says, “Large can makers do what they do very well—scale and efficiency. That requires their customers to have long-term forecasts, substantial production runs, and sophisticated supply chain operations. That is simply not something all small and upstart beverage companies have. We want to build a more modern ecosystem that allows those brands and organizations to thrive.”

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Packaging

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