ABSTRACT
Beer requires certain packaging requirements such as microbial controls, gas controls, and light damage, which do not apply to all food and drinks, and understanding these requirements has allowed modern beer packaging to evolve. How packaging has developed and influenced beer markets over the last two centuries can be understood while considering the history associated with the main packaging types—bottle, can, and keg. An important step in the evolution of beer packaging types was the development of local transportation links. The second major development in the late nineteenth century was an understanding of pasteurization and the production of the first heat-treated beer in 1870. Third, there were material developments during this period that were driven mainly by the requirement to supply new markets and to exploit developments in product stability. Fourth, standardization, which commenced with the success of the crown cork standard-type closure, further drove the development of mass-produced glass to suit this design.
