First UK craft brewery to adopt 360° cans

This spring, The London Beer Factory will be the first UK brewery to launch its entire range of beer in cans featuring a ring pull design that allows the entire lid to be removed, turning the can into a drinking cup so removing the need for glassware and draught installations.

Removing the can end, not only makes drinking easier but the full spectrum of flavours and aromas can also be enjoyed by the consumer.

The full aperture can end for pressurized beverages was developed by Crown Bevcan in 2010 for SAB Miller in time for the FIFA World Cup. It was devised to reduce queues at bars around the event, with a quicker serving time, without compromising on the drinking experience. It represented a huge technical achievement. 

Scientific research has proven the human tongue is able to detect only five taste sensations: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami; as the Society for Neuroscience states the “interactions between the senses of taste and smell enhance our perceptions”.

The London Beer Factory, based in Gipsy Hill, was founded in 2014 by brothers Ed and Sim Cotton. From day one they have been committed to producing beer with character; beer with unique flavours and distinctive qualities. Distilling these principles into every single brew they have developed an exceptional range of unfiltered, unpasteurized beer, incorporating an array of malts and hops from around the world. 

The Core Range is made up of five beers: Beyond the Pale, Sayers Stout, London Bohemia (pilsner), Chelsea Blonde and Paxton IPA. To compliment these brews, the brewery also produces a unique experimental beer every single month that joins the ever-expanding Pilot Range – an important part of the brewery’s constant search for innovative new recipes and better brewing practices. 

This March saw the launch of The Big Milk Stout; a classic Imperial Stout weighing in at 8.8% ABV. Made with traditional British hops, Goldings, this dark brew boasts a rich, full-bodied character, with sweet undertones of honey and vanilla. In February, The London Beer Factory launched their Galaxy IPA - a hard hitting, 7%, double hopped India Pale Ale, which offers a range of flavours from passion fruit, to peach, to clean citrus aromas.

With a brewery bar, The London Beer Factory welcomes guests to come down and try their pioneering selection of craft beers whilst taking a look around the brewery. Games are shown live on their big screen and their good friends, the Belpassi Bros. are usually around serving up their famous gourmet meatballs. 

The 360° cans will be illustrated by Philip Harris, a Devon based artist who Ed and Sim met when he was giving a masterclass on surfboard illustration at the Newquay Surf Festival. Using the character of the beer as inspiration, Harris has already created an impressive body of artwork seen on the brewery’s bottles as well as The London Beer Factory Taxi, providing beer on tap for Londoners around town. 

9 April 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor