How much would you pay for a bottle of beer that stays cold nearly an hour longer? Pittsburgh Brewing Co., maker of Iron City Beer, has partnered with Alcoa Inc., the world's largest ...
How much would you pay for a bottle of beer that stays cold nearly an hour longer? Pittsburgh Brewing Co., maker of Iron City Beer, has partnered with Alcoa Inc., the world's largest aluminum maker, to produce aluminum bottles that keep beer colder for as much as 50 minutes longer than a glass bottle, Alcoa officials said. The bottles have three times the aluminum of a typical beer can. That gives them superior insulation, Alcoa spokesman Kevin Lowery said. Alcoa and brewery officials say the biggest selling point of the bottle may be its appearance. Bryson agreed, and said plastic bottles have also been problematic at some bottling plants because they are lighter than glass and can become jumbled. But he said the advantages may not outweigh the price. Aluminum bottles cost more than twice than glass, but Alcoa and the brewery said the cost will come down if other beer companies follow suit. Pittsburgh Brewing, which sells about 6 million cases of beer annually, has opened a six-figure marketing campaign to try to make the idea stick. "I think in the next 12 to 18 months, more people are going to get into this like we are," said Piccirilli. "We're not kicking the tires."
