Thread by @iamkoshiek

Why beer in a can often tastes better from a can than a bottle [Thread]

https://twitter.com/Palesa_Dwaba/status/1299369189430489089

Beer was first transported in clear glass bottles but we all know what happens when you leave beer in the sun... it smells & taste like a skunk.

Actually, UV rays breaking down the alpha acids in hops + reacting to Sulphur is almost the same spray skunks emit to ward of prey.

Remember colour, wavelengths & absorbance in high school? No? Body parts of a locust?

Short answer - brown (darker) glass does a great job of blocking out UV light while green & clear glass does a less impressive job.

So for years, beer was sold in brown bottles...

World War II happens & there's suddenly this shortage of brown glass & green bottles become popular.

Now of course these days you just apply a UV protective coating to the green glass & it solves this problem.

... but beer sales are driven by psychology as much as science.

A few years ago Heineken asked me to help them find acquisition opportunities across Africa

One thing became clear upfront - beer drinkers tend to associate green bottle beer with higher quality & status. Having tasted litres of beer (market research 😂), they aren't better!

Cans do give you a better airtight seal than bottles. Beer bottles let a tiny amount of air in over time. When you finish a crate of Zamalek - you won't notice this, honestly.

Cans don't do a great job of keeping beer cool... but most craft beers are enjoyed warmer

We tend to associate cans with pollution & bottles as being more environmentally conscious

... except just 26% of recycled glass actually gets reused vs. 55% of aluminium cans which get repurposed.

In Cape Town, 98% of exes are recycled.

"But everytime I drink beer from a can it tastes like metal..."

Most beer cans are lined with a polymer coating so the beer isn't actually touching the can. Chances are you're smelling the can which affects your experience.

(Smell has a big influence on taste)

Cans have a better airtight seal, keep light out, portable, environmentally friendly & shouldn't taste like metal. Downside is they get warmer.

But cans still aren't the best way to drink beer...

The best way to drink beer is from a beer tap poured into a glass.

[END]

Here's a few reference links - because we aren't the Daily Sun:

1. Physics experiments on green bottles
google.com/amp/s/www.wire…

2. Why does my beer taste metallic?
justbeerapp.com/article/4-reas…

3. What does the colour of you're beer mean?
drinkstuff-sa.co.za/what-does-the-…

Since I was a bartender for a part of my life - it would be a real crime if I didn't link you to the recipe for an Old Fashioned here.
esquire.com/food-drink/dri…

What do you prefer drinking your beer out off?

Can we get a shout-out for really great African beers here:

- Laurentina
- Zamalek
- Mosi Lager
- Kilimanjaro
- Tusker!!
- Serengeti
- Kuche Kuche (shout-out my Bollywood people here)

Those are the ones I've tried.
Please add to the list...

Waiting for someone to add Mageu

Anyone who rates Budweiser or Bud light as great beers is getting blocked. Can't encourage that.

Corona is doing well
google.com/amp/s/www.mark…

Coke from these glasses bang different