We have been a big fan of San Diego based craft brewery TailGate Beer for a while now. Not only because they put out great craft beer but they also fully embrace the tailgate party lifestyle. They understand tailgating and the integral role good beer plays. The brand name “Tailgate Beer” wasn’t arrived upon by a bunch of focus group idiots that thought it would be a great way to appeal to a target demographic. The name was derived because the founder of the brewery is a tailgater himself. It is this passion and understanding of the unique needs of tailgaters that pushed Wesley Keegan, the founder of Tailgate Beer, to put his craft beer in an aluminum can. With pleasure we are happy to announce that Tailgate Beer is now available in a can and it tastes just as good as if it was out of a bottle.

Over a year ago our designated beer reviewer, Mike “the Beer Guy”, did a review on Blacktop Blonde. That particular brew was the first to be placed in cans. We had a chance to sample Tailgate Beer’s Blacktop Blonde in a can it was as expected, quite good.

Whether it is marketing and advertising or just plain old stereotyping, many of us hold onto the belief that beer tastes better out of a bottle compared to a can. Maybe it is because many cheaper, low quality beers are exclusively offered in cans and that it skews our perception of how good beer is supposed to be packaged. A quality craft beer can’t possibly taste good when it comes in the same metal can that could be holding Pabst Blue Ribbon or Keystone Light. That’s simply not true and I can assure you that Tailgate Beer in a can does not have a metallic taste or taste “cheap”.

The main reason for putting craft beer in a can is because Tailgate Beer is meant to be consumed outdoors and hopefully in the confines of a parking lot. Many lots around the country are moving away from allowing glass bottles. Qualcomm Stadium for example has a strict no glass policy and tailgaters that have a glass jar of salsa can receive tickets written by the patrolling police. Fears of broken glass popping tires or shards of glass cutting someone have prompted these glass bans. Even worse, a glass bottle could potentially be used as a weapon to hit someone over the head. It’s pretty difficult to hurt someone by hitting them with an empty aluminum can. That’s the reason why Tailgate Beer has chosen to put their beer in a can. To be the official beer of tailgating it needs to be packaged in a way that it is welcomed at all parking lots.

Another benefit of Tailgate Beer in a can is that it comes packaged with six cans in a cardboard box. Tailgate Beer does not sell their canned beer in those plastic six-pack holders that you need to cut with scissors in order to prevent wildlife from getting their heads stuck in them. The cardboard box is a lot like those boxes other beers come in when packaged in 12-packs or by the case.

Two benefits of Tailgate Beer coming in a cardboard box is the box can be recycled, thus cutting down on waste. The second benefit is that the box acts as a mini-cooler that helps to insulate the cans from getting warm. It stands to reason that a regular six-pack held together by the plastic rings would get warmer sitting out, exposed to the open air while the Tailgate Beer box would help keep the beers colder, longer. Of course the box does not substitute for putting the cans in an ice chest but if you are bringing the beer to the tailgate and your friend is there and has the cooler, your beers won’t be warm by the time you arrive.

Distribution of Tailgate Beer is initially focused on the West Coast and the Mid-West so be on the lookout for Tailgate Beer in stores in your area. For more information about Tailgate Beer visit: TailGateBeer.com.