Craft Beer: More small breweries are canning their beers

A growing number of craft brewers are canning their beer and there are definitely advantages to the aluminium packaging over bottles. Cans don't let any light in, keeping the beer fresher for longer, and are quicker to cool in the fridge.

London-based FourPure were the first micro brewers in the UK to put their beer in cans, including their seasonal specials. Their Beertooth American brown ale, packed with flavour and just the right level of bitterness, is my personal favourite.

In Ireland, Metalman Brewing in Co Waterford were the first to take up the aluminum baton in 2014. Their pale ale is smooth and crisp with subtle citrus flavours and medium hop finish. If you want to sample Metalman's beers, they are holding a tap takover at Belfast's Brewbot on June 22.

Whiplash is something of a gypsy brewery, in their own words, "brewing with friends around Ireland and abroad". Their canned double IPA Surrender to the Void packs a punch, weighing in at 8.5 per cent and smashing into three digits in terms of the IBU levels.

There is a real slap-in-your-face intensity to the initial hit of hops, but this does give way to some sharp grapefuit flavours and a wonderfully bitter finish.Others in the line are Rascal's Big Hop Red and Donegal brewery Kinnegar who are packing their wonderful beers in cans.