These are heady times for Canada’s brewing industry.
COV E R F E AT U R E
According to statistics compiled by Beer Canada, a voluntary trade asso-ciation
of Canadian beermakers, the number of brewing facilities in this country
increased from 817 to 995 from 2017 to 2018, which represents an increase of 21.8 per
cent. Much of that growth can be attributed to increased demand by Canadian beer
drinkers for homegrown craft suds. Additionally, overall beer production in this country
supports 149,000 jobs and contributes $13.6 billion to Canada’s GDP, according to a recent
Conference Board of Canada study.
Still, as encouraging as those numbers are, the domestic brewing industry isn’t
without its challenges. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges, especially for many craft
brewers, is determining the best way to package their product and get it into the hands
of consumers.
While it’s a relatively simple process to fill kegs, canning is a whole different animal.
Most smaller brewers simply don’t have the physical space or financial resources to can
their own products onsite, an important consideration in today’s market in which canned
products account for about 62 per cent of domestic beer sales.
In response, a number of mobile canning operations have sprung up across the coun-try
over the past six years. Their motto: have cans, will travel. There are currently close to
a dozen such operations spread out across the country, each capable of canning more
Vessel Packaging
SUMMER 2020 § POURED CANADA § 17