Millions of people have purchased Iron Maiden's Trooper ale in bottles and on tap -- and now it'll also be available in cans.

Singer Bruce Dickinson talked to the Manchester Daily News about the latest expansion of the band's beverage empire, pointing out that canning Trooper wasn't a decision based purely on the fact that sales of canned beer have spiked in recent years.

"Firstly, cans are easier to recycle, require less packaging, get colder quicker and take up less space in your fridge," he said. "Secondly, cans don't break or smash, meaning they can be taken to venues, sporting events, campgrounds, beaches and music festivals, where glass is not typically allowed. Thirdly, aluminium cans are excellent protection against light and oxygen -- beer’s biggest enemies, so your drink tastes fresher longer. Done right, they’re great for our beer."

The article goes on to note that sales of canned craft beer are up nearly 90 percent year-to-year -- and while everything Dickinson said about the can's advantages is true, those sales figures definitely haven't been lost on Robinsons, the brewery responsible for producing Trooper.

"Today, it’s the biggest growth area in the U.S. craft industry, with more than 400 U.S. craft breweries all electing to can their beers rather than bottle, and I have a sneaky suspicion that a canned comeback could be on the cards for the U.K. as well," the company's managing director is quoted as saying. "There are many reasons for the rise in canned beers, but ultimately it boils down to the fact that there’s something rather cool about a premium beer in a can."

To learn more about Trooper and find out where you can get some for yourself, visit the beer's official site.

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