Grocery multiples sold in can saw a 349% rise, while off license sales in case grew 140%.
The Can Makers, a European organization that promotes drinks cans, quotes the figures while attributing the rise to both changing consumer attitudes and better canning options for small-scale craft breweries.
Maintaining beer quality
Martin Constable, chairman of the Can Makers, said: “The growth of the canned craft beer market over the past year has exceeded expectations and has paved the way for other craft drinks’ makers to enter the market. We are beginning to see a trend of adult soft drinks and cocktails looking to achieve similar success.”
The Can Makers says that consumers are attracted to the attributes of the can: lightweight, with standout design, easily recyclable, and a packaging that maintains the quality of the beer inside.
For craft brewers, brands now have better access to canning options that suits their needs. The recent introduction of lower volume contract lines in the UK, as well as a wide choice of mobile lines for hire and lines for purchase, has contributed to the growth, say the Can Makers.
The Can Makers also promotes the recyclability of metal cans, with metal able to be recycled repeatedly without losing any of its structural integrity.
It says that 38 million drinks cans are recycled in the UK every week – representing around seven out of 10 aluminum drinks cans. The European metal packaging sector’s ambition is to reach and exceed 80% metal packaging recycling by 2020.