Can it! Latitude 42 philosophy on the beer can

PORTAGE — Scott Freitas has a whole catalog of names for what it is: A mini-keg, an earth saver, a billboard, a handful of high tech, the “ultimate package for beer.” He can also tell you what it isn’t: “It is not your grandpa’s Budweiser.”

“It” is a can. It’s the only packaging Freitas uses for his craft brews from Latitude 42 in Portage, and it’s a growing trend in the rest of the craft beer world as well — Founders and Bell’s have both introduced canned lines in the last year.

For Freitas, however, canning is an old habit, not a new trend. He has sold his beer in cans since his days as head brewer at Maui Brewing Co., and when he helped found Latitude 42, it was the only option he discussed. “That’s all I was willing to do,” he says.

You can tell he’s a veteran of canning — and an enthusiastic one — because he fires off its facts and benefits faster, almost, than you can listen to them.

It’s cheap — simpler to make, lighter to ship and easier to store than bottles.

It’s safer, and

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