Can you tell? Can you actually tell? Does beer taste better from a bottle or from a can?
Do a quick poll at happy hour, and you’ll likely find that most people say beer tastes better when it comes from a bottle versus the canned version of the same stuff.
But what accounts for this preference? Are cans somehow cast in a negative light? Is it something less desirable about the packaging’s shape or weight? Or maybe the metal itself imparts some type of flavor on the beer that makes it a less desirable drink. What’s really going on behind this beer phenomenon?
A study published in the journal Beverages sought to answer this question once and for all. Researchers developed a three part study that looked at all possibilities.
Step 1 – questioning
First, participants were asked to fill out a short questionnaire on demographics and drinking habits. On average, participants reported drinking about once a month, and most reported a preference for bottled beer over canned beer.
Step 2 – visual test
During the second part, roughly half were asked to examine a bottle of beer prior to tasting it. The other half were asked to do the same thing with a can of beer. The same beer from the same brewery was inside, it was just in different packaging. After visually examining the drink, researchers poured the beer out of the bottle or can and into a plastic cup before serving it to participants. This allowed researchers to control for a number of factors like head space and packaging weight. Participants were then asked to evaluate the beer.
Step 3 – blind taste test
In the third step, researchers conducted a blind taste test. Each participant had two glasses of beer in front of them — one that was poured from a bottle and the other which was poured from a can. Again, both of the beers were the same beer, just different packaging. Participants were not allowed to see which cup was poured from which packaging. They were then asked to taste and evaluate each, and indicate which they preferred — or note if they had no preference.
The results
The results of the first questionnaire showed that, yes, people have a strong preference for bottled beer when asked in casual conversation. About 61% of participants said they would rather drink from a bottle, while just over 11% said they would choose a can. About 27.5% said they were the same.
The second test showed that when people knew where their beer was coming from, they perceived the beer poured from a bottle to be tastier and higher quality. But people couldn’t tell the difference when packaging was out of view in the third test. During the blind taste test, when participants had no idea which packaging their beer was coming from, they showed no preference between canned or bottled beer at all.
So the take-away? Your preference for bottled beer is likely psychological — it’s all in your head. So now that you know, go ahead and order that beer canned and save yourself a few bucks on bottles.
(h/t Liquor.com)
Also see, 19 fun facts about champagne.
