Can we get a large pepperoni pizza with that?

If you read us regularly you know that the number of craft brewers now canning their beers is growing significantly, and we've written as to why.

Long story short - the cans are now better. New technology in the packaging prevents that old metallic taste from leaking into the beer like it used to. Efficiencies abound - cans are lighter and take up less space. Cans are more cost effective to ship, store, and display at retail. A canning line can also take up less brewery square footage than the bottling process, which affects a brewery's bottom line.

Unfortunately, it's those pesky startup a and transition expenses that some find daunting . . . Many breweries are unable to can their beer because it requires a large initial investment in inventory and machinery - and now even that may be changing!

Kendall Jones, writing for Washington Beer Blog.com, reports on something's growing in canning that could change everything for the younger start-up brewers with necessarily limited funds - Canning on Wheels!

Northwest Canning to the rescue-Mr. Jones explains:

Northwest Canning is a mobile beverage canning operation that eliminates the need for the big, one-time capital expenditure. In short, Northwest Canning shows up when the beer is ready to be packaged, puts the beer in 12- or 16-ounce cans, and then drives away until next time the brewery needs a canning run.

And Northwest Canning is not the only business providing this service - they're popping up everywhere! San Francisco's got The Can Van and Colorado's got Mobile Canning. These businesses serve a very real need, and we're going to see a lot more of this.

No matter what your position is on craft beer in cans, one thing's for sure - this trend is on and it's not going away. The stigma that was once associated aluminum cans is changing and the public's perception with it.

The future may have already happened - so we suggest that you just pop open a cold one and enjoy the ride!