Aluminum Slims Down

Canadian brewer Molson Inc., Montreal, is marketing beer served in sleek aluminum 8.4-ounce cans known as “cold shots.” According to a report from The Aluminum Association, Washington, the container could speed the trend toward making aluminum cans “the fastest-growing packaging choice in the Canadian beer industry.”

The “cold shots” cans with their sleek profiles are reminiscent of energy drink cans that have gained favor with young consumers of Red Bull and other highly-caffeinated beverages. The cans have been designed for Molson by Ball Corp., Broomfield, Colo.

Three different types of Molson beer—Molson Canadian, Molson Dry and Molson Ultra—are available with 6.5 percent alcohol content in the cold shot packaging and are being test-marketed in several provinces in four-pack and eight-pack formats.

Molson hopes the new cans provide a “fresh, urban, modern look” to its customers.

The slim aluminum can look is also being offered to makers of 12-ounce beverages, as Ball Corp. showed off its 12-ounce Sleek Can at the Canmaker Summit at the Cannex event in Denver this May.

“We spent a lot of time listening to our customers and developing this new package, which offers growth opportunities for their businesses,” says Denise Rodgers, director of custom can sales for Ball Corp. She adds that customers “are increasingly turning to lightweight, recyclable packaging.”