# Why don't they sell beer in plastic bottles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2008, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695 "2008-01-31T07:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/1 "2008-01-31T07:44:00Z")
I saw a company in NZ trial this a few years ago. But it did not go ahead. It seems to me like a better idea to have beer in plastic rather than glass bottles. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/2 "2008-01-31T07:47:56Z")
They do at some sporting events. As to why they aren’t more widespread, I think the feel of drinking a beer out of a plastic bottle is going to be significantly worse than a glass one. Probably has to do a bit with tradition too. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/3 "2008-01-31T07:50:12Z")
Plastic bottles for beer have their disadvantages. > [@](#): > > The principal obstacle to the introduction of a PET container for beer is that PET is a bit of a gas ‘sieve’ when it comes to the permeation of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The shelf life of a beer depends on how long it keeps its flavour, which is limited by exposure to oxygen, particularly for light beers with subtle flavour characteristics. These delicate flavours are also adversely affected as levels of carbonation decrease. The focus of recent materials developments has therefore been to improve the barrier properties of PET to these two gases, to achieve the longer shelf life needed to meet both consumer and retail requirements. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/4 "2008-01-31T07:50:57Z")
They do at ballparks and concerts I’ve been to. It’s OK, no worst than a can. But then I don’t reallly care for cans either. Give me my duff in a cold glass anyday! ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/5 "2008-01-31T07:59:14Z")
[QUOTE=Ice Wolf] Plastic bottles for beer have their disadvantages. Thanks for the link. Looks like it is being looked at anyway ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/6 "2008-01-31T09:17:19Z")
When I lived in Russia, they used to sell this incredibly cheap beer in big two liter bottles like Coke comes in and as others have said, they sell it in plastic at some sporting events. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/7 "2008-01-31T11:17:10Z")
[QUOTE=madmonk28] When I lived in Russia, they used to sell this incredibly cheap beer in big two liter bottles like Coke comes in [/QUOTE] Kvass is not beer. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/8 "2008-01-31T11:28:54Z")
[QUOTE=psychonaut] Kvass is not beer. 😉 [/QUOTE] It’s Kvap? ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/9 "2008-01-31T11:30:10Z")
As has been mentioned, this is now common at sporting events in NZ - and in Australia and NZ they sell cider in plastic 2L bottles at the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/10 "2008-01-31T11:33:11Z")
It would be non-alcoholic cider in Australia. As far as I know only the ACT has supermarkets selling alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/11 "2008-01-31T11:39:10Z")
My local brewery sells its beer in plastic containers (between 2 and 9 litres), but these are filled on-demand and meant to be consumed within a couple days so shelf-life isn’t an issue. Some cider in the UK comes in 2 and 3 litre PET bottles. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/12 "2008-01-31T12:01:41Z")
I’ve certainly drunk Bud from plastic bottles (the same size and shape as standard ones) at concerts. Only when it’s been the only beer going, though. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/13 "2008-01-31T12:27:12Z")
[QUOTE=psychonaut] Kvass is not beer. 😉 [/QUOTE] Believe me, I know my Kvass from a hole in the ground. This was cheap ass beer, the kind you always had enough money for in your sofa. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/14 "2008-01-31T13:23:38Z")
[QUOTE=Girl From Mars] in Australia and NZ they sell cider in plastic 2L bottles at the supermarket. [/QUOTE] In the UK, it seems that only “premium” cider is sold in glass bottles, the rest being in cans or more commonly 2l plastic bottles. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/15 "2008-01-31T17:08:13Z")
Isn’t [Miller](http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000738.php) sold in a plastic bottle? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/16 "2008-01-31T17:22:15Z")
You can get six packs of Bud in plastic bottles at the supermarkets near my house. I usually pour my beer into a glass, so I guess it doesn’t matter much, but I find the feel of plastic bottles emphasizes “You’re drinking cheap beer!” Maybe that’s one reason it hasn’t caught on. Sort of like wine from a box – a pretty good idea, really, but completely associated with cheap wine. I seem to recall seeing plastic 2-liter bottles of Strongbow in the UK in 1993-94. Do they still do that? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/17 "2008-01-31T20:12:45Z")
It would seriously screw up bar brawls. ---
**Author:** ![TestTest1234](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@TestTest1234](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TestTest1234)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/18 "2008-01-31T20:37:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Isn’t [Miller](http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000738.php) sold in a plastic bottle? [/QUOTE] Miller is definitely sold in plastic bottles, but I wouldn’t consider it the norm. I mostly see it at sporting events (as other have mentioned). Occasionally I will see it in 6-packs at a liquor store. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/19 "2008-01-31T23:19:39Z")
I remember when I was a kid in the seventies, when one wandered about in woods and dark places looking for some kind of adventure, you always found porno mags, cigarette-butts and those empty plastic bear bottles here and there. Not necessarily exclusively those three ingredients together behind the same rock, but those plastic bottles were one common item, together with them mags and butts. I haven’t seen them since though (the plastic bottles), here in Scandinavia. I always wonder who those guys were, hiding in the woods and other dark places, taking a smoke, reading a couple of porno mag, and having a few beers and… what…? Head off to the disco? ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695/20 "2008-02-01T00:15:28Z")
I brew my own beer in old plastic coke bottles. Much better easier than using old glass beer bottles as one doesnt have to have a proper capper, just screw the top back on. Mind you, my home brew doesnt last more than a few weeks with my consumption, so long term storage isn’t a problem. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-sell-beer-in-plastic-bottles/435695.md?page=2)