Can do: 15 best canned craft beers in Boston ~ New news

Canning craft beer is no longer a novel concept, but an accepted reality. When Oskar Blues in tiny Lyons, Colo., first packaged its Dale’s Pale Ale in a can, it was considered an anomaly, a funny deviation from the norm, like Guinness’s nitrogen widget. Since that landmark decision in 2002, more than 300 other craft breweries have joined in the practice, with purists like Jim Koch at Sam Adams preaching the benefits of aluminum. Industry insider, craftcans.com is even calling 2013 the “year of cans,” as sales are projected to double and an annual beer fest in Arizona has been conceived in its honor. By now, you’ve probably heard of the detrimental effect of harsh UV lighting on brown and green bottles, but as consumers it’s just enough to know that they are light and portable, they’re perfect for any outdoor fun, and they keep your suds much, much colder. After scouring the competition, we’ve put together a list of the 15 best selections available in Boston.

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Avery White Rascal

There’s a time and a place for cheap, light lagers: it’s called a keg party. Or maybe a hipster fantasy camp in Williamsburg. Basically, anywhere but my refrigerator. If you’re looking for a quenching pint, you can never go wrong with a Belgian “white” ale. Avery Brewing of Boulder, Colo., does the best domestic version with its White Rascal. This unfiltered wheat beer is spiced with coriander and Curaçao orange peel and has appealing floral and citrus notes. Anything that Riesling pairs with, White Rascal can do better. Pick up a six-pack next time you order tacos al pastor, Sichuan chicken, or even Thai.

avery brewing

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Sixpoint Resin

Definitely not for the faint of heart or empty of stomach, this imperial IPA clocks in at a hefty 9.1 percent alcohol by volume and 103 IBUs ( international bittering units). Co-founder Shane Welch decided to throw a “parade” in honor of the sticky resin of the hop flower, and he more than succeeded in this massive brew loaded with grapefruit, pine, and earthy bitterness. Packaged in skinny, 12-ounce cans reminiscent of certain energy drinks, Resin is a juiced-up offering capable of competing with extreme favorites like Avery Maharaja and Great Divide’s Hercules. I’d recommend drinking this with ramen, or pasta salad, or Thai curry noodles. Basically, you’ll need to carbo-load with this bad boy, otherwise you’ll be lying facedown before you finish your second can.

sixpoint brewery

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Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

Dark as pitch and as viscous as a chocolate milk shake, Ten Fidy is another delicious, high-octane offering from Oskar Blues. The aromas of coffee and char come courtesy of two-row malt, chocolate malt, and roasted barley and are supplemented by a pervasive hoppiness. Given a perfect score on Ratebeer.com, this ageable gem is the epitome of liquid dessert. Released once a year, this heady imperial stout has the ability to whisk away the doldrums of winter, but is worth seeking out in any season.

oskar blues brewery

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21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon

I normally have an aversion to fruit beers, which can be cloying and downright unpleasant. But this summer seasonal from 21st Amendment of San Francisco is stunningly refreshing. Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan starts with a classic American wheat, which then undergoes a traditional secondary fermentation that includes an addition of fresh watermelon. The results bring to mind carefree afternoons, sunny weather, and a juicy slab of watermelon knawed to the rind. Try this sessionable beauty with a fried catfish po-boy or a porky bon mi with plenty of sriracha.

21st amendment brewery

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Alchemist Heady Topper

There’s something to be said for focusing on one thing and doing it really well. Now ranked as the best beer in the United States by Beer Advocate, this Imperial IPA will make you grateful to be only one state away. Fetishized by beer geeks everywhere, this hop bomb does have an intoxicating allure that’ll make a trip to Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, Vt., seem like Clark Griswold’s “quest for fun.” Along with a side trip to Hill Farmstead (less than an hour away in Greensboro, Vt.), a trek to Vermont to hunt for Heady Topper is now considered the essential craft beer pilgrimage.

Monica Donovan for the Boston Globe

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Brooklyn Summer Ale

Brooklyn’s ubiquitous lager has made its Milton-Glaser-designed logo as familiar as the golden arches. But as nice as its signature beer is, this seasonal blonde ale is as welcoming as a watering trough in the Sahara. Inspired by the 19th century, English tradition of “Light Dinner Ales,” this modern rendition has the potential to nudge past the mimosa in your weekend brunch routine. With notes of cereal and orange peel, it’s like breakfast in a can.

brooklyn brewery

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Uinta Baba

When I hear the words Salt Lake City, I normally think mountains or Karl Malone. But after sampling the fantastic lineup of craft cans from Uinta Brewing, you can add beer to that all too truncated list. Tops for me is this black lager, also known as a schwarzbier. Brewed like a bottom-fermented lager with dark roasted malts, it has the same nutty, chocolatey aromas of a porter, but with a crisp, dry finish. This is a great alternative to Guinness and other stouts without the weightiness on the palate. Try with Sweet Cheeks’ brisket burnt ends on Texas toast and thank me later.

uinta brewing

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Harpoon IPA

Harpoon is in the middle of a full-blown canning redux at its expanded facility on the South Boston Waterfront. Soon you’ll be able to get most of its products via aluminum cans, but their first order of business is supplying enough of their signature brew for a public that’s constantly clamoring for more. This medium-bodied IPA is incredibly smooth and downright sessionable at only 5.9 percent alcohol by volume. Sample it at the Harpoon Beer Hall with one of the chewy pretzels or just keep some handy the next time you have yard work on the weekend agenda.

harpoon brewery

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Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils Stovepipe

Unlike their German or Czech counterparts, most domestic lagers are bursting with adjuncts like corn and rice. But this Longmont, Colo., brewery, which put canning back on the map, is used to challenging the norm. Made with all pale and German specialty malt, as well as a traditional dose of Saaz hops, this pilsener has been some of the best Biergarten fare since Oskar Blues began brewing it in 2009. The only thing that could make Mama’s Little Yella Pils any more enticing? More of it. And this summer, thanks to its Stovepipe can, every popped cap ensures 19.2 ounces of goodness.

oskar blues brewery

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Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA

Hop Ottin’ IPA has been the not-so-secret elixir that has been fueling California winemakers since 1987. As the saying goes, “It takes a lot of good beer to make great wine.” Balance is the key here, with the piney bitterness of the Cascade and Columbus hops matched only by caramel sweetness of three different types of malt. Get into a West Coast frame of mind and indulge in this IPA alongside some fish tacos and a heaping plate of garlic fries.

anderson valley brewing

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Sixpoint Righteous Ale

Founded in 2004, this Brooklyn upstart has been quickly climbing past those staid breweries mired in unimaginative ambers and pales. Forsaking glass bottles entirely, these aluminum zealots are creating some of the most exciting craft beer to hit the market since Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams burst onto the scene. Sixpoint has a number of fantastic offerings, but its Righteous is one of the best ryes packaged in any kind of vessel. Chinook, Columbus, and Cascade hops give it a resiny, citrusy quality with a balanced pepperiness from the rye malt. This beer works well with any of your deli favorites, but there’s something sublime about it paired with a classic pastrami on crusty rye bread.

sixpoint brewery

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Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

Bigger is not always better. When in the midst of stifling summer weather, nothing makes you feel like Ron Burgundy choking down milk more than a double IPA as thick as gum syrup. Today, British-style India Pale Ales are about as hip as the dusty contents of an estate sale, but Brooklyn Brewery’s version is a nice change of pace with it’s layers of pine, lemongrass, and green tea. Its versatility among a wide swath of cuisines make it a great choice for any occasion.

brooklyn brewery

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21st Amendment Marooned on Hog Island

Like champagne, rich stouts are a natural partner with oysters. So, 21st Amendment Brewery took it one step further and added the natural brininess of actual Hog Island Sweetwater oyster shells. 450 pounds of shells, to be exact. Brewed in collaboration with San Francisco’s famous Hog Island Oyster Co. as a part of its Insurrection series, this inky stout is laced with notes of coffee, roasted malt, mocha, and toffee. If you have a tulip glass handy, go for it! But there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from imbibing this straight from the can with a selection of freshly shucked bivalves.

21st amendment brewery

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Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Sierra Nevada is the Daniel Day Lewis of craft breweries. They frequently enthrall you with their execution, they’re willing to dip their toes into riskier territory, and they never disappoint with a “Meet the Parent” type payday. Even this very traditional pilsener has subtle nods to their Northern California roots with a heavier backbone of Perle and Saaz hops. Canned for the first time this year, Summerfest is now as essential to a beach trip as sunscreen and a cooler

sierra nevada brewing

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Downeast Cider

OK, it’s not a beer, but it’s easily the best canned alternative. Ross Brockman and Tyler Mosher’s blend of Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, Cortland and Gala apples, from Ricker Hill Orchards in Maine, makes for a juicy reprieve that doesn’t dip into the boozy profile of cheap wine coolers. Fermented without the the dryness or barnyard yeastiness of its austere Norman and Spanish cousins, this New England cider is like a year-round taste of temperate autumn.

Downeast cider

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