Bottled up

Recycling Today, Oct, 2004

In 1962 Alcoa and the Pittsburgh Brewing Company joined together to develop the first pull-top aluminum can, which revolutionized the beer and soft drink industries. Now, Alcoa has announced another beverage industry packaging innovation with its participation in Pittsburgh Brewing Company's new aluminum bottle for its Iron City brand beer--touted as the first beer to be introduced nationally in an aluminum bottle in the North American beer industry.

The new aluminum Iron City bottles are available nationally in specially designed 24-pack cases. CCL Container in Hermitage, Pa., makes the bottles using Alcoa aluminum.

Joseph Piccirllli, vice chairman of Pittsburgh Brewing Co., says the aluminum beer bottle offers many benefits to retailers and consumers in that it is unbreakable and the beer stays colder up to 50 minutes longer than beer bottled in glass containers.