The Quest for the Perfect Can

Now that summer is fully upon us, it means that plenty of outdoor activities are in order. We'd naively like to think that much hiking and biking will be among said activities. One thing that is surely on the agenda is a visit or two to the historic Saratoga Race Course. It just wouldn't be summer without spending at least one full day getting a second degree sunburn and losing money hand over fist on ill informed trifecta wagers on the ponies. A thoroughly enjoyable way to waste a day, to be sure. One of the most wonderful things about the track at Saratoga is that you are allowed to bring in a cooler full of your favourite foods and beverages. The only fly in the ointment, as it were, is the track's fairly firm ban on glass containers. Luckily, more and more craft beers are available in cans, with approximately 20 craft brewers putting out at least some of their products in aluminum. New technologies enable beer to be canned more inexpensively than ever, and without the "tinny" taste so often associated with the pale yellow, fizzy, swill put out by the big boys. Cans are also impervious to light, cheaper and easier to transport. We told you previously about New England Brewing's delightfully offbeat Sea Hag IPA. Our plan is to introduce several more contenders in our Quest for the Perfect Can (QPC) before the races start at Saratoga in late July. The ideal candidate will be readily available, interesting on repeated tasting, and agreeable to steady consumption in an environment that includes hot sun and heavy monetary losses. Come to think of it, cost may be a deciding factor as well. Developing...