Fort Collins Brewery takes full lineup to cans, donates portion of sales to Water Mission

After experimenting with aluminum in its year-round portfolio, Fort Collins Brewery is making the bold move of taking its entire lineup to cans starting with their 2015 GABF Gold Medal Winner Oktoberfest, to release in August.

“We feel great about the early response and know cans are the vessel of our future,” said FCB Owner and General Manager Tina Peters. “Being 100 percent recyclable, cans are right in line with our commitment to sustainability. Cans are ideal in protecting the freshness and integrity of beer as barriers to oxygen and light. As the craft marketplace becomes more informed about the benefits of cans, we’re ready to take the plunge.”

Fort Collins Brewery & Tavern is a family-owned, handcrafted microbrewery and full service tavern in Northern Colorado, established in 2003. FCB offers an outstanding lineup of 50 ales and lagers.

To help celebrate the complete shift to cans, FCB is teaming up with Water Mission, a nonprofit engineering organization that helps design, build and implement safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas.

“We applaud Fort Collins Brewery’s sustainability initiatives in conjunction with elevating the awareness of the global water crisis,” said Sandy Funk, director of marketing for Water Mission. “It enables every customer the opportunity to contribute to bringing safe water — the same quality that we have here in the U.S. — to people who lack access to it in underdeveloped countries. When families and villagers in remote regions have access to sustainable safe water solutions, it transforms their lives.”

The summer long campaign starts this week and will run through the end of August.

“We want to really build momentum and help raise awareness about the global water crisis by combining photography with FCB cans,” said FCB Marketing, PR and Brand Manager Chea Franz. “The ripples of individual engagement with FCB will help encourage Water Mission’s commitment towards aid and improvement in access to clean water that will change lives.”

Craft beer fans are encouraged to purchase any of FCB’s core four beers and post their summer adventures on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #WhereCanFCBTakeYou. In turn, FCB will donate a portion of sales made from Red Banshee, Far Away IPA, Shot Down Chocolate Stout and Major Tom’s Pomegranate Wheat to Water Mission.

As for the transition from bottling to canning, FCB’s year round beers are available in cans within the brewery’s distribution footprint. Peaches & Barley, a Belgian-Style Saison coming out in July, will be the last FCB brew appearing in a bottle. The brewery’s award winning Oktoberfest will make it’s 2016 can debut in August.