I suspect it will be a long time before we see this in Australia, but in catching up with some reading I found this on Jay Brooks’ site about San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery announcing that their canned IPA is to be served on Virgin flights in the US.
It really shows how deeply craft beer is penetrating into the mainstream in the States when you see this, but that’s not the sole reason that we’re not likely to see it anytime soon in Australia. Canning lines are expensive and generally beyond the reach of reach of Australia’s small breweries. Coincidentally I had commissioned Jay to write an article on craft in cans for Beer & Brewer magazine a year or so ago which provides a background to craft in cans and why we are unlikely to see it here for some time. You can read it here.
Given the unlikelihood of microbreweries getting their beer in cans, let alone muscling their way onto a flight over the deep pockets of the Big Two. About two years ago Qantas introduced James Squires Golden Ale to their inflight range, which at least offers a choice from the usual range of generic lagers. Still, Qantas offers a 50-page wine guide to its Business Class Passengers.
Coopers does put its Pale Ale into cans for SA-based events and so that would be available…not sure why it hasn’t joined the mile beer high club.