History Short: Great American Invention, Canned Beer!

A Brief History

On January 24, 1935, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey, introduced the world to the convenience of beer in cans. Lucky for American servicemen, canned beer became popular in time for World War II, making transporting beer to thirsty troops a much easier task.

Digging Deeper

If you are wondering, soda pop did not appear in canned form until 1955 when Coke first made the leap and then in 1964 when RC Cola first canned their bubbly soda in aluminum cans, a further refinement of the beverage industry. As usual, the dates of these canned drinks vary with different sources.

Kreuger beer goes back to the 1850s, but sadly went out of business in 1961. While Kreuger may be gone, the great majority of beer brands can be purchased in cans, and today those cans can come in a variety of sizes. Beer in aluminum cans debuted in the late 1950s.

Quicker to chill and more resistant to turning “skunky” than bottled beer, many folks stubbornly insist cans impart a metallic flavor to the brew, although using aluminum instead of tin coated steel is less taste intrusive. Aluminum cans are easier to crumple up and take up less room in the trash, are lighter to ship, and can be recycled, whereas the old heavy bottles were throwaways and made for bulky and heavy trash, not to mention the breakability of the glass.

Note: See our other beer related articles.

Question for adult college students (and subscribers) to ponder: Do you prefer beer and soda in cans or bottles?

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