To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the beer can, Treehugger posted a story pointing out how far behind the United States is when it comes to reusable beer containers. According to their post, 83 percent of Germany’s beer consumption (except draft, presumably) is sold in refillable bottles, which are returned by drinkers for a deposit. By contrast, our refill rate is 3 percent.

They’re right about that; most U.S. states really need a deposit system for bottles, which would be much more beneficial than crushing and recycling the glass. However, author Lloyd Alter takes a wrong step when he writes:

Nobody a mile north or south of the American border touches the stuff in cans, it just doesn’t taste as good.

This is wrong. Cans now hold some of the best beers in the world, or at least some of my favorites. And unlike 75 years ago, beer cans today are made with a water-based internal coating that keeps the aluminum from ever touching liquid, so if your beer tastes like tin foil, it’s probably just a crappy beer.