Cans! Two more Bend, Oregon-based breweries are canning their beers now (joining GoodLife, Worthy, 10 Barrel, and Three Creeks): Crux Fermentation Project and Silver Moon Brewing. As long-time readers know I am a fan of the can so I’m happy to see these new offerings.

Silver Moon Brewing has released their three flagship beers in cans sporting a new brand design, concurrent with the opening of their new Redmond production facility as well as the new brand look and website (disclosure: my company and I did the work on the website): IPA 97, Chapter 2 Casual Ale, and Get Sum Pale Ale.

From the press release:

Just 3 months after holding a large scale Grand Opening event at its new production facility in November, Silver Moon Brewing releases three popular beer styles in a 6-pack can format. Several major grocers have already signed on to carry the new packaged offerings, which are available for distribution and purchase as of today.

Known for its arsenal of award winning beers and small batch creativity, Silver Moon Brewing has been in operation since 2000. The brewery is the third oldest in Bend with a current count of 31 breweries. Since its inception, Silver Moon Brewing has claimed several medals at both regional and national events, including Great America Beer Festival, North American Brewers Association and the Los Angeles International Beer Competition, and the KLCC Brewfest. In September 2015, “IPA 97” was awarded top honors in a blind tasting IPA contest of local breweries, held by Bend’s historic Pine Tavern Restaurant.

The brewery is still bottling as well, 22-ounce bombers as they have been for years, and will continue to do so for seasonals and specialty releases. Now if they could get their Unkle Pilsner into cans…

Which is what Crux Fermentation Project is doing—they announced this week that they are releasing their Cast Out IPA in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles, and (what I’m more excited about) their Crux Pilz in cans. Crux brews the best pilsner in Central Oregon, if not the state, hands down, and this is the perfect beer to get the canning treatment.

From their press release:

Crux Fermentation Project announces the introduction of two of its most popular beers—Crux Pilz and Cast Out IPA— in new-to-Crux 6-pack formats. Crux Pilz will be offered in a 6-pack of 12oz cans, while Cast Out IPA will be available in a 6-pack of 12oz glass bottles.

Crux is brand new to the 6-pack format. Since its opening in June of 2012, Crux has distributed beers exclusively in 375ml and 500ml single-serve bottles. The introduction of Crux beers in 6-pack formats creates broader availability in specialty bottle shops, supermarkets and grocery stores throughout Oregon and Washington beginning next week.

Central Oregon is the perfect market for canned craft beer, as much of the region’s economy derives from outdoor sports—mountain biking, hiking, rafting, rock climbing, camping, skiing, and more. Cans are a more logical package to take with you on that rafting trip than glass bottles: environmentally friendly and safe, lighter, easier to pack, quicker to cool, and especially easy to pack out. So I’m definitely glad to see more local breweries adopting this option.