New Belgium Set To Unveil Fat Tire Cans

From 9news.com:

DENVER (AP) - This summer, Colorado's New Belgium Brewing Co. plans to offer its flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale from something other than the tap or a glass bottle: an aluminum can.

It looks like outdoor enthusiasts will soon have one more option for tasty "river beer" in the not-to-distant future. There's no word as to when they'll be available, but my source told me it's unlikely that we'll see them in Oregon until later this year.

One other interesting tidbit from the article caught my eye:

The Fat Tire that comes in cans will be "can-conditioned" with live yeast, so its flavor should not be affected, he said. Despite popular perceptions about canned beer, the company's taste tests show the canned version tastes the same as the bottled brew.

With the recent surge in canned craft beers there's been discussion on the various beer geek sites regarding the feasibility of can-conditioning, and this seems to be a definitive answer to that question. I doubt this'll never happen, but the dreamer in me can't help but fantasize about floating down a river while sipping on cans of La Folie.

Mark my words, it's just a matter of time before someone comes out with a can-conditioned bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, and I look forward to that day. I think a certain brewery in Ashland could have some fun with that...