What is the reason why some bottles have a twist off v. a pop top? Why did Summit Pale Ale choose to have a twist off while Sam Adams has a pop top? Does it cost more for a twist off? Does a pop top seal in the flavor better?
It might have something to do with where it is brewed. I don’t know if local laws regarding deposits and non-returnable or non-refillable containers might apply here.
It might just boil down to personal preference of the president of the company. 
Point of language: pop tops are used on CANS. Bottles havecaps, and the crown cap being referred to can be either a twist-off or a pry-off style. The bottles come in twist-off or pry-off form, and must match the type of cap being used.
Twist-off caps are a consumer convenience, like pop top cans, so that an opener is not needed. Pry-off caps are said to seal better. Manufacturer’s choice, depending upon their priorities.
Imagine my surprise a few months ago when I found an actual pop top (D-shaped ring with curled sliver of steel) on the beach. They are definitely few and far between. When I was a little kid, early 1980s, I got a soda at the hardware store each weekend because it had a pop top (but the ones mom bought in the store didn’t).
Anyhow, that one on the beach! I’m lucky I didn’t step on it – what would happen if I blew out my flip-flop?
Some weird things like pineapple juice still have pop tops, but those are generally made of foil.
Why did pop tops dissappear anyway? I rather like the elongated hole from which to drink. More air gets in so your beverage comes out faster.
Litter problems. Nobody tossed them in the trash…they just dropped them on the ground. The result: Jimmy Buffett songs! :eek:
As for twist off vs pry off, I have a simple rule:
Real beer comes in bottles with pry off caps. If a beer has a twist-off lid, then it’s very likely a crappy beer. (There are some exceptions, like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but they are few.)
Note that this is not a reflexive rule. A pry-off cap does not necessarily mean a quality beer.
As for pull tabs, this site says the first pull tab was introduced by Iron City Beer in 1962, and the modern “StaTab” by Fall City Brewing in 1975.
Does anybody else remember the ULs surroundng swallowed pull-tabs?
Another consideration is that bottles which use pry-off caps are reusable, so they may have come from breweries which reuse bottles. Even if they are no longer reusing them, they wouldn’t necessarily have swapped out a perfectly good capping machine for a screwing one. They might also have had eight billion crown caps sitting in the warehouse with no threads in them.
The subject of reusability always comes up when discussing twist-off vs pry-off, and I’m curious…why isn’t a twist-off bottle reusable?
I’m glad you put this caveat in there, bughunter, 'cause otherwise you & I would have to have words. 
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The threads aren’t that durable. The more times you put a cap on and take it off, the greater the chances of slivers of glass breaking off and ending up where you want them to be.
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Sterilization issues.
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If the threads do start to chip, they can’t get a good seal. Plus, see 1., above.
Don’t! Don’t want them to be! :smack:
You’d have to cruise on back home, I imagine.