Kokanee to Stay Fresher Longer Thanks to First Significant Bottle Cap Innovation Since the Twist Off

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.

Jul 20 2010 --- Kokanee announced the Glacier Seal Cap, 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 more than 10 times the amount found in 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.