I always look forward to Greg Kitsock’s beer column in the Food section of the Wednesday Washington Post.  His most recent column was published on June 17 and is titled “Small Brewers Test Their Metal.”

Here’s a few nuggets about beer in cans:

• Of the 446 microbreweries and 990 brew pubs in the U.S., only about 40 can their beer.
• The Blue Mountain Brewery will soon be the first Virginia craft brewer to can its beer.
• The notion that beer in cans imparts a metallic taste is a myth – the cans are actually lined so the beer never comes in contact with the aluminum.
• The best D.C. area spot for drinking beer in cans is the Red Derby, which serves about 30 different beers in cans.

I’m familiar with several of the brewers Kitsock cites in his article:

• Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues in Colorado is one of my favorite beers, whether from a can or a bottle.  Hoppy and delicious.
• Butternuts Beer & Ale of N.Y. has been my beer of choice for afternoons at the pool so far this summer.  A 12-pack sampler (stout, hefeweizen, pale ale, IPA) sells for $13.99 at Magruder’s in D.C.  As Kitsock notes, craft beer in cans gives you the same flavorful beer, but in a light and compact package – perfect for the pool or tailgating.
• I’ve visited the 21st Amendment brew pub in San Francisco and loved it.  Kitsock says they can two beers that are available in the NoVA market.  I’d love to find these – if you’ve seen them let me know!
• New Belgium Brewing Company’s Fat Tire (Colorado) is one of my favorite session beers and Kitsock reports that it is now available in cans, but I still don’t think you can find it east of the Mississippi.

Kitsock’s column is recommended reading – he covers a lot of ground, including the history of canning beer and the pros and cons of the vessel, with quotes from several brewers.

So, have you tried craft beer from a can?