We haven’t actually counted, but the number of Colorado canned craft beers rivals the number of craft brew bottles on the shelves of Front Range liquor stores. Ten years ago, Oskar Blues Brewery started this canning trend, which has been adopted by just about everyone else. What’s more, Beverage World Magazine recently gave a nod to the trend-setting Oskar Blues, naming the Colorado operation its first-ever Craft Brewer of the Year. Here’s how Beverage World summed up its choice: “With 52 percent annual growth in 2012 and a fresh capacity bump from the opening of a new brewery two time zones east of its base Oskar Blues Brewery earns our inaugural ‘CRAFT BREWER OF THE YEAR’ distinction a decade after it fired the first shot in what would become a craft canning revolution.” We think it’s a fine choice. And regardless of whether the beer comes in a can or a bottle, it tastes pretty darn good, too. For our money, it’s tough to beat a crisp, hoppy Dale’s.

Read more about Oskar Blues’ brewer Dave Chichura.

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