Slump Makes U.S. Beer Drinkers Reach for Cans: Chart of the Day

The frosty can of beer is making a comeback in the U.S. as the recession and proliferation of smaller breweries drives demand away from bottles and draft.

The CHART OF THE DAY shows almost 53 percent of the beer consumed in 2011 was served in an aluminum can, up from a low of 48 percent in the years leading to the economic slump that began in December 2007. After peaking at 60 percent in 1991, the container’s popularity gave way to bottles and glasses amid growing demand for foreign brews.