| Most of us think beer tastes better when drunk | | | | work of Ermal Cleon Fraze and he received a patent |
| from a bottle or from a keg, either at the local | | | | for his design in 1963. The first drinks sold with the |
| watering hole, or in our own home. Yet despite this, | | | | new easier opening top were R.C. Cola and Diet-Rite |
| estimates are that those who brew beer sell over | | | | Cola, both in 1964. The first beer sold in the new |
| 60% of their brew in cans. I will admit that cans have | | | | cans was Iron City Beer. |
| their place, they are much more easily transported, | | | | While the pull tab was a definite improvement, it did |
| protect the beer inside from light, are 100% | | | | have drawbacks. It came off the can very easily and |
| recyclable, are not subject to breakage and seem to | | | | there was the possibility of accidentally swallowing it |
| be much more in their element at a tailgate than | | | | if it was dropped back in the can. The detached tabs |
| does a bottle. So the can seems to be the container | | | | were also bad for the environment as they were |
| of choice for all venues except the tavern and, | | | | often thrown away carelessly. Work continued on |
| sometimes, the home. | | | | improving the design and in 1975 Reynolds Metals |
| The history of the beer can is really very interesting. | | | | developed the stay tab we are familiar with today |
| The first cans were made from steel and are now | | | | and by the mid 1980s the stay tab design had almost |
| manufactured mostly from aluminum or, in some | | | | fully replaced pull tabs in most of the world. Today |
| cases, tin. | | | | only China and the middle east still produce cans with |
| These first cans were solid on both ends, without | | | | pull tabs. |
| any mechanism to open the can. A separate device, | | | | The next modification to the design of the can was |
| often called a "churchkey" was needed to punch | | | | the "large mouth" can introduced by Mountain Dew in |
| holes in the can to get the beer out. This device was | | | | the late 1990s. This larger opening allowed a |
| a bottle opener on one end and had a sharp point on | | | | smoother pour as the pressure difference between |
| the other which was used to punch two holes in the | | | | the inside of the can and the outside was more |
| can; one to let the beer out and a smaller on to let | | | | quickly equalized. |
| the air in. As this seemed to be something of a | | | | The most modern modification to can design is |
| clumsy method, inventors were soon hard at work | | | | undoubtedly the "cold activated can" from Coors. |
| on designs for self-opening cans. As far back as 1936 | | | | This can has a picture of mountains printed on the |
| the patent office was receiving applications for easier | | | | can in "Thermo-Chromic" ink that changes color from |
| opening cans. Unfortunately, the steel construction of | | | | white to blue when the can and its contents are |
| the cans and the state of technology of the time | | | | properly chilled. While this is the most innovated |
| defeated these efforts. | | | | feature of the can and is the subject of a great deal |
| The advent of aluminum soon gave inventors the | | | | of advertising, the can also boasts a "frost brew |
| edge they needed and in 1956 the first pull top was | | | | liner" that "lock in frost brewed taste and a "vented |
| invented by a Canadian, Mikola Kondakow. This was | | | | wide mouth". Clearly, at this time, Coors has the lead |
| followed quickly by the pull tab in 1962. This was the | | | | in innovated beer can design. |
