Kokanee to stay fresher longer thanks to first significant bottle cap innovation since the twist off

Glacier Seal locks in fresh taste by keeping oxygen out

 

Vancouver, British Columbia, July 23, 2010 – Kokanee announced the Glacier Seal Cap™ Tuesday, which contains the first significant innovation in beer bottle caps since the twist off in 1984. The cap contains an oxygen-absorbing liner in the Glacier Seal to reduce Kokanee’s exposure to oxygen, allowing the beer to stay fresher longer.

 

“The  Glacier Seal Cap is an example of our absolute dedication to ensuring Kokanee stays as fresh as possible until you drink it,” says Mike Bascom, Marketing Manager for Kokanee.  “The Glacier Seal essentially locks more oxygen out of the beer bottle and keeps Kokanee’s Glacier Fresh™ taste in.”

 

Columbia Brewery conducted testing on samples of bottled beer that had aged at least one month and found that the oxygen levels for Kokanee capped with the new Glacier Seal were so low, they registered below 5 parts per billion (ppb) total package oxygen per bottle. To put this in context, another product that was tested and did not contain a similar liner had much higher oxygen levels, averaging upwards of 55 ppb total package oxygen per bottle, that's 90 per cent more than Kokanee packaged with the Glacier Seal.

 

“Oxygen is the number one enemy for beer,” says Scott Stokes, Columbia Brewery Brew master. “When beer is exposed to oxygen for an extended period, like in a bottle, it results in flavour changes that ultimately make the beer taste stale. The new Glacier Seal cap means Kokanee will now taste fresher.”

 

The science behind the new Glacier Seal is simple. Oxygen exposure occurs in bottled beer because oxygen can diffuse through the plastic gasket on the cap.  The Glacier Seal Cap contains an oxygen absorbing liner that incorporates active ingredients that react with oxygen as it migrates through the liner, reducing oxygen exposure and protecting the beer’s flavour.

 

Extensive testing was conducted to determine the right amount and right combination of the active ingredients, all of which are anti-oxidants commonly used in the food and beverage industry.

 

The Glacier Seal Cap that is used on Kokanee is a third generation liner material that has been optimized to give the greatest benefit to beer flavour as determined by trained taste panels. 

 

About Kokanee

Sourced exclusively from the Columbia Brewery, Kokanee lager is an authentic domestic specialty beer and a true taste of British Columbia. Built in 1959, the Columbia Brewery is located in picturesque Creston and is part of the rich brewing tradition of British Columbia. In addition to Kokanee and Kokanee Light, the Columbia Brewery also produces Kokanee Gold, Kootenay True Ale and Alexander Keith's.