How the rising cost of aluminum cans affects this Orléans microbrewery

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News How the rising cost of aluminum cans affects this Orléans microbrewery Before tariffs, an empty aluminum can would cost 19 cents. Now, the Stray Dog Brewing Company pays 23.6 cents, with the cost of lids rising from four cents to six. Author of the article: By Abyssinia Abebe Published Sep 13, 2026 5 minute read Join the conversation Marc Plante, co-owner of Stray Dog Brewing Company, poses with aluminum cans at the Orléans brewery on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Rising can costs tied to U.S.-imposed tariffs add another financial pressure for the local business. PHOTO BY ASHLEY FRASER /Postmedia Article content Twenty-eight days from grain to glass. It’s a common phrase in the homebrewing circles Marc Plante and his now business partner, Justin MacNeill, used to frequent. Article content “That’s what we call it,” Marc Plante, co-owner of Stray Dog Brewing Company, says. Now, as the owners of the local Orléans microbrewery, the 28-day timeline is also used to determine how frequently the owners need to purchase aluminum cans to package and send out their homemade beers. Article content Article content Article content Before tariffs, an empty aluminum can would cost 19 cents. Now, Plante and MacNeill pay 23.6 cents, with the cost of lids rising from four cents to six. Article content The Evening Citizen The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “It doesn’t sound like much,” Plante said Saturday, Sept. 12, as the brewery prepared to celebrate its ninth anniversary. “But when you multiply that by the thousands, they start to add up.” Article content Stray Dog goes through 3,000 to 4,000 cans every two to three weeks. Article content The brewery, which opened as Orléans’ first microbrewery nine years ago, is now navigating rising costs as other local breweries disappear. Orléans Brewing Co. (OBC) closed its doors in August, citing rising costs, increased rent and mounting pressures. It was the second Ottawa brewery to close this year after Kichesippi Beer Co. shut down in March. Article content “It really kind of gives you pause when you see a larger, more established microbrewery like Kichesippi Beer closing,”…