People will always have different preferences and opinions when it comes to beer. With so many options available in the beer world, you could spend months discussing the wonders of IPAs, porters, stouts, or blonde ales.

That said, no matter what style of brew makes you happy, there is one common denominator across all these options: serving draft beer out of stainless steel kegs has proven to be preferable to traditional packaging every day of the week. Draft delivery not only provides the utmost in beer freshness, it also provides an unrivaled drinking experience by offering the "best of the brewers art." Simply put, draft beer provides superior economic and environmental benefits that traditional beer packaging does not.

With that in mind, we can compare common beer packaging, dispensing, and storage options to see how draft delivery outweighs them all in terms of overall benefits.

Bottles vs. Cans: Considerations to Keep in Mind

All the different styles of beer are impacted by the way it’s stored and dispensed. This occurs in a variety of ways. When analyzing the use of bottles and cans in the context of user experience and industry sustainability, there are some important considerations to keep in mind.

Portability

Bottles and cans are both very portable thanks to those handy six packs, 12-packs, and even 24+ packs. When it comes to ease of transportation, you could argue that cans are the winner. In fact, a 24-pack of bottled beer weighs almost twice as much as a 24-pack of the same canned variety.  

While this may not be a problem when going to the beach with friends, it quickly becomes an operational issue at the commercial/retail level. It also makes things more difficult for employees to transport the beverages to serving stations. This is before having to worry about any breakage during transit.

Ease of Opening  

Both cans and some bottles can be opened easily, but certain bottles come with unique frustrations when comparing both options. Many upscale offerings do not feature a twist-off top. You will need an opener unless you want to break a tooth or lose a nail. Canned offerings of the same product are the clear winner in this category.

Flavor and Freshness

Cans and bottles can impact the flavor, freshness, and overall quality of the beer in three key areas:

• Material: Aluminum will keep the beverage inside colder and longer than glass bottles. Another issue with bottles is that different types of glass may allow too much light to seep through (read about sunlight exposure below). The darker glass will help to protect the beer from this, but ultimately it can still affect the product’s quality.
• Lid: Cans are sealed hermetically. Although you might assume the same for bottles, bottle caps allow minute amounts of oxygen to seep through.
• Lining: Beer cans are lined inside to prevent the beer from coming into contact with the metal. This means that regardless of what type of can the beer is stored in, it’ll never affect its flavor.

The important question is, how does this compare to draft beer stored in kegs? Why is it that a freshly poured glass of draft beer simply just tastes better?

Sustainability and Environmental Impact

The unfortunate truth of any convenience provided by both glass bottles and aluminum cans is that, in many cases, they become single-use items, so that they can be detrimental to the environment. The EPA’s research found some interesting numbers about recycling and landfilling: 

• A staggering 55% of glass containers were landfilled in 2018, with just 31% recycled.
• An estimated 50% of aluminum beverage cans were recycled in 2018.  

This is proof that while recycling is always a good option for glass and cans, it is dependent on end users to ensure these packaging options are not contributing to a waste problem.

Why Does Draft Beer Taste Better?  

Freshness is of the utmost importance when it comes to taste. Typically keg beer is consumed closer to the time that it leaves the brewery than bottled beer. This important benefit is just one of the advantages of draft beer delivery. Other significant advantages are:  

No Oxidation

Beer is brewed with natural ingredients (e.g., hops, malts, and yeast). These ingredients are prone to oxidation which negatively impacts taste. Kegs contain less air than cans and bottles, which means the beverage inside retains its quality and fresh taste longer.  

No Pasteurization Means a Cold Delivery 

Domestic beer that is intended for bottling undergoes a pasteurization process. The finished brew is heated to kill off any bacteria that may grow between bottling and the time of consumption. This process compromises the original flavor.  

Domestic keg beer does not require pasteurization and is kept consistently cool from the brewery to the distributor to the local tavern. In fact, most domestic kegs are kept cold until the tap is opened and poured into the glass. This ensures the intended flavor is retained.

No Sunlight Exposure  

Sunshine can be fun if you’re visiting Florida from the northeast. Unfortunately, exposing glass bottles directly to sunlight is a bad idea. This is because sunlight causes a reaction within the hops that alters their taste, making the beer bitter. This outcome is easily preventable by storing beer in kegs. However, kegs aren’t a magical solution. You still have to do your part to keep beer keg lines clean, since failing to do so can also affect the taste of the beer.  

A best practice is to clean beer lines every two weeks. This is the standard set by the industry trade group Brewers Association.

Draft Beer and Sustainability: The Environmentally Friendly Choice

When it comes to both taste and beverage experience, we've already established that draft beer is a far superior option, but did you know that ordering draft beer served out of stainless steel kegs is the most environmentally friendly choice available to beer lovers today? Fact: The draft beer keg has a service life of over three decades. Being reusable, this significantly reduces the number of beer cans and bottles that end up in landfills and the oceans. When a stainless steel keg has reached the end of its lifespan, it can be recycled, making the use of draft beer kegs the most sustainable and responsible option. 

Draft Beer Yields a Higher Return on Investment 

Offering draft beer provides restaurant and bar owners with the opportunity to increase profits in a variety of ways.