Coors Light may be the last major beer brand to fill an aluminum bottle, but it’s the first with thermochromatic graphics that change color when chilled below 45
Coors Light rolled out the two-piece container with a releasable cap in September, and while Rick Gomez, vice president of Coors, predicted the Alumi-Tek bottle from Ball Corp. would help “gain incremental distribution,” the only innovative touch is the “cold-activated” thermochromatic ink that changes color with temperature change. Coors first used the dye-based ink in 2007 with labels depicting mountains on bottles of Coors Light.
Anheuser-Busch was first to the plate with aluminum bottles in 2004, and within 12 months, six of its brands were available in 16-oz. containers. Its pint bottles are made by Exal USA, Youngstown, OH. MillerCoors tested a nine-pack of Miller Lite before rolling the program nationwide in Spring 2009, using the same resealable drawn-and-ironed container as Coors Light. The wide-mouth bottle uses a 38mm closure.
Ball’s aluminum bottle debuted in August 2007 in a 12-oz. version. Caribou Coffee retorted the product, and other milk-based products have followed suit, according to Ball Spokesperson Jennifer Hoover. Pure Pro 50, a bodybuilder shake with 50g of milk and whey protein, is an example. The brand is owned by Glanbia plc, the Kilkenny, Ireland-based dairy products giant.
For more information:
Jennifer Hoover, Ball Corp., 303-460-5541, jhoover@ball.com
