Yes, We Can

Why would you put good beer in a can? It’s a question that the crew at Oskar Blues has been answering since 2002, when the Longmont brewery inspired the Canned Beer Apocalypse by becoming the first beer maker in the nation to make and can its own craft brew. And...

By Jonathan Shikes

June 24, 2010

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Why would you put good beer in a can? It’s a question that the crew at Oskar Blues has been answering since 2002, when the Longmont brewery inspired the Canned Beer Apocalypse by becoming the first beer maker in the nation to make and can its own craft brew. And it’s continued to answer the question with every beer it produces.

In the meantime, more than a dozen other Colorado breweries have joined the apocalypse, including New Belgium, Ska, Upslope and Avery.

Today, Oskar Blues will toast its colleagues at Burning Can, the first all-can beer festival in Lyons. “We’ve been fighting public perception for eight years now,” says Oskar Blues spokesman Chad Melis. “So this is a celebration of how far it has come and the different varieties of high-quality beer you can get in a can.”

Two non-canning breweries, Left Hand and Pumphouse — both in Longmont — will be on hand as well, canning a couple kegs each just for the festival.

Burning Can runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at Sandstone Park; tickets are $35 and include unlimited four-ounce samples, beer-can chicken and music from Bone Pony. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Brewers Guild. For more info, go to www.oskarblues.com/shop.
Sat., June 26, 1-4 p.m., 2010

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