Size Matters: As Markets Evolve, Beer Cans Grow

“Gimme a Banger!”

Consumers might say this as they’re reaching for one of Rahr & Sons Brewing’s new cans. Probably better known as stovepipes or tall boys, Jeff Woods of Rahr wanted to put his own spin on the Fort Worth, Texas brewery’s 19.2 oz cans, and he hopes the term will catch on.

“Banger refers to something big, grandiose and over-the-top. Like a big party can be called a Banger, someone who is a real go-getter or a hard worker, is a Banger,” Woods said. “It just fits.”

After three years of canning 12 ounces at a time, the next logical step for the brewery was a 19.2 oz can. With assurances from Rahr’s distribution partners that they could get Rahr cans into different venues, gas stations and convenience stores, Rahr made the investment.

Woods hopes this will help Rahr better tap into music-festivals, sporting events, and concert scenes — where bigger cans are preferred.

Currently, Rahr offers 19.2 oz cans of its Adios Pantalones and Dadgum IPA, with plans to add Paleta de Mango soon.

“If all keeps going well with this format, I can imagine that another brand or two will be added in the near future,” Woods said.

“We use multiple avenues to gain placement on new products and formats. We have our own in-house sales team that is in the market every single day…working with accounts and pushing the Rahr brand in the market.”

The sales team works directly with bar managers and business owners to sell-in placements of Rahr products, and the distributors have relationships with accounts that will help with new placements as well.

“It’s a combo of several things,” Woods said, “in-house sales, distributors, bar managers, and business owners, all working in coordination to bring these things to the market.”

Rahr currently partners with Ball for production of its printed cans. Most of the 12 oz cans are manufactured at the Fort Worth Ball plant, about five miles from the brewery itself. The 19.2 oz cans, however, are produced at Ball’s Monterrey, Mexico location.

“We did a “pilot” run in Denver at Ball Headquarters to dial in the base colors and to have a quality sample to compare to final production,” Woods said. “The production cans were printed in Mexico and arrived just fine, practically matching the quality pre-production samples we had originally signed-off on.”

In addition to the current 12 oz canning line, Rahr added a second line for the larger cans. The 12 oz machine can adjust to fill 19.2 oz cans but Woods wanted to make the investment in a dedicated 19.2 oz machine.

Since both canning lines can fill both can sizes, Rahr is covered in case of an emergency if one of the canning lines goes down. As production increases, the plan is to run both lines simultaneously for optimal output.

In terms of Rahr’s customer base, “Everyone likes them,” Woods said. “We get DMs and messages online from our social media platforms daily from people looking for the 19.2 cans.”

As bigger cans are showing up more in grocery and convenience stores, and becoming more popular at sports and concert venues, Rahr is just doing what it can to keep up with demand.

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