Double Mountain Begins Canning Core Beers and Cider for First Time

Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery of Hood River, Oregon, opened a new chapter in 2026 by putting core beers and a cider into aluminum cans for the first time. The brewery made Hop Lion IPA and its Dry Cider available in 12-ounce six-packs beginning Friday, January 30, and plans to follow with a Czech-style Pilsner in March.

The cans are described as "shiny, lightweight, adventure-ready recyclable aluminum cans," and will appear on shelves at local grocery stores and at all Double Mountain locations. The introduction of cans provides a practical alternative for hikers, campers, and venues where glass is restricted, while preserving Double Mountain’s long-running refillable bottle program.

The move marks a shift after a decade-long resistance to canning. "For the past decade, Double Mountain intentionally resisted canning its beers and ciders while focusing on what it believes is the most earth-friendly package available: the refillable glass bottle," the brewery said in the announcement. The company emphasized that refillables remain central to its identity: "Refillables are still at the core of Double Mountain’s identity, and the brewery will continue bottling beer and cider in refillable glass."

Those two positioning notes frame the practical motive behind the packaging change. "At the same time, Double Mountain recognizes that many customers and retailers want their beer and cider in cans, especially for outdoor adventures and places where glass simply isn’t the most practical option. The brewery is embracing that reality and is excited to finally offer a format that customers and retailers have been asking for over many years. It’s a long-anticipated step, and one the brewery is thrilled to finally take."

Canning arrives as Double Mountain expands its cider program under founder Matt Swihart. Swihart traced the cidery’s gradual growth to careful sourcing and hands-on methods. "My approach on the cider is to learn and be a nice add-on to what we do at the brewery. When we started Double Mountain, the cider and fruit (krieks) were always going to be part of the story. It just evolved more slowly because I never wanted to use bulk juice or apples that I couldn't put my hands on," Swihart said.

Background reporting from a recent site visit shows the cidery building scale and ambition. Double Mountain stores fruit and beer in a 25,000 square foot warehouse with a 24 foot ceiling that also holds cans for Everybody’s Brewing and beer for pFriem, leaving room for Double Mountain’s own fruit, beer, and ingredient storage. Swihart is planning barrel-aging, wild fermentation, and experimentation with keeving as part of the cidery roadmap.

An Instagram post from the brewery reiterates the refillable philosophy in truncated form: "At Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery, we believe bottling our beer and cider in refillable bottles is the most socially responsible choice by", the post continues beyond the excerpt.

For drinkers, the immediate takeaway is straightforward: expect Hop Lion IPA and Dry Cider in recyclable cans at local stores and Double Mountain taprooms now, with a Czech-style Pilsner joining in March. For the community, the change balances environmental priorities with real-world practicality and signals potential future expansions in canned SKUs and cider experimentation to watch.