Modus Operandi (MO) Brewing Company has launched a new preservative-free craft beer in a can rather than a bottle.
The Mona Vale-based brewery is owned by Grant and Jaz Wearin (pictured), and was named Austalia’s Top New Brewer for 2015.
The latest launch is called Sonic Prayer IPA and reflects the couple's passion for environmentally friendly packaging.
“A big killer in beer quality is UV light and oxygen, which a glass bottle is susceptible to,” Grant Wearin says.
“A can removes all these elements, keeping the beer as fresh as it was when it left the tank.
“We also store and transport our beer cold, which hugely affects the freshness of the beer.”
Environmental factors are also important to the Wearins.
“We try to follow as many 'green' practices as we can with all our energy use 100 per cent green energy,” Wearin says.
“We use cardboard trays instead of boxes to keep down paper use, and, as cans are lighter, transportation emissions are lower.
“When aluminum is recycled it requires 95 per cent less energy and produces 95 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than manufacturing new aluminum.
“With cans you can also use less packaging for holding the packs together.
“Glass bottles typically come in a cardboard holder, whereas our cans are held together with a very small pack that goes on top of the cans which are made from 96 per cent recyclable plastic.”
Cans also cool much quicker than glass, which works for the Australian climate.
And in terms of design, Wearin says there's “nothing sexier than a sleek can”.
“We put a lot of effort, time, and money into our design, because in the past cans have had a bad rep when it comes to their visual appeal.
“There's a growing number of high-end restaurants picking up our cans, which they pour into a lovely beer glass at the table.
“In the past, restaurants wouldn't touch cans, but now with sleek packaging and the visual appeal of pouring it into a fresh glass, it has become a special moment for the diner.”
MO Brewing Company is also responsible for distributing the CANimal – a US invention by Oskar Blues Brewery and Ball Corporation.
The Wearins were the first to launch the bar-top can seamer in Australia, which allows customers to take home any of its 12 brews on tap in a 946mL can.
