Regional breweries are jumping aboard the can renaissance and helping to change the public perception of beer cans.

Cans don’t give a damn about their bad reputation.

And you shouldn’t either. As it turns out, aluminum cans may be better packaging than glass bottles for your favorite craft beers.

While cans have long been associated with lower quality, mass-produced beers, several regional craft breweries are joining the national trend in favor of them, helping to change public perception. The trend started slowly about a decade ago and really gained momentum in the past couple of years. There are now about 200 national craft breweries offering beer in cans.

In New England, those breweries include Moat Mountain and the Redhook Brewery in New Hampshire; Shipyard and Sea Dog in Maine; Long Trail, Magic Hat and Woodchuck in Vermont; and Harpoon in Massachusetts, among others.

Redhook began selling its most popular beer, Long Hammer IPA, in cans this spring. Andy Schwartz, a brewer at Redhook’s Portsmouth location, said it was a way to give people more opportunities to drink their favorite beer in more places.

“Cans are amazing packaging,” he said.

There used to be a stigma associated with beer cans, Schwartz said, because the unlined containers of the past caused a metallic taste.

But, Schwartz said, any negative taste difference now is more noticeable in glass bottles, especially clear or green ones. He said the light that gets through the glass causes some beers to acquire a distinct skunky taste. Also, he said, air can eventually get under bottle caps and reduce quality. That doesn’t happen with properly sealed cans.

“Some people still say they can tell the difference between beer from a can and a bottle,” Schwartz said. “I would argue they might be able to tell the difference because the beer in a can tastes better.”

For the consumer, canned beer has a fresher, cleaner taste, he said. It also cools down faster and is more convenient to pack in and out of places. For the brewery, the raw materials are less expensive, and cans are lighter and more compact for shipping.

Schwartz said the only downside to canning is getting past the public perception that the beer tastes different.

“The public is accepting this. There’s a huge change from just a couple of years ago,” he said. “They’re opening their minds and mouths to cans.”

He said it’s a challenge to keep up with demand for cans of Long Hammer, and Redhook brewers are evaluating when they will be able to add more lines.

David Carlson, president of Marshall Wharf Brewing Company in Belfast, Maine, plans to begin distributing beer in cans next month. The beer is currently available only in growlers at the brewery, or on draft at several Portland eateries, as well as When Pigs Fly in Kittery.

Marshall Wharf is known for its many different varieties, and Carlson said they’ll probably rotate through them, offering about 70 cases of a different beer in cans every week or so. The first will likely be their flagship beer, Illegal Alien, which is ideal for summer, Carlson said.

When choosing between a bottling or canning line, it just made more sense to go with cans, he said, because the cost was equivalent but the benefits were greater. He has no plans to go into bottling.

“I’m a fan of the can,” he said.

In addition to protecting the beer from light and air, cans can be better for the environment compared to glass, particularly if they’re manufactured from recycled aluminum. They’re also more economical for the company to ship, and more portable for consumers to take on the outdoor activities.

It’s also a way for the company to stand out in the marketplace as the first craft brewery in the state to offer 16-ounce cans.

Fred Forsley, president of the Shipyard Brewery, based in Portland, said it will be a few more weeks before Export hits the shelves in cans on the Seacoast. The seasonal brew Pumpkinhead is expected to be available cans this fall.

Forsley said only offering bottles limits opportunities for the company to sell in places where glass is prohibited, like certain cruise ships, pools and golf courses.

He said getting into canning is initially expensive, especially for breweries that have already invested in bottling. But, in the long run, it should be less costly to produce beer in cans. For the time being, Shipyard’s cans are not cheaper to buy.

Forsley said there isn’t much difference in taste between bottled and canned beers, but he thinks it is less flavor-intensive in a can. But, he said, consumers have already shown their willing to accept the change.

Shipyard, which has a brew pub in Eliot, is expanding to accommodate for the increased lines and now brews beer in a few different locations.

“We’re excited about that and the growth microbreweries are having in general, especially in cans,” he said.

Though local company Smuttynose has no immediate plans to start canning beer, president Peter Egelston said aluminum is a superior package.

But, Egelston said, many small brewers have already invested in bottling equipment and don’t have the money to spend on canning. He said launching a quality bottling or canning line of Smuttynose’s size costs $1.5 to $2 million, and since the brewery already has bottles, they’ll stick with glass until they can afford another for canning.

“You can make a really good argument in favor of putting beer in cans,” he said, adding that the perceived taste difference is imagined. “Truth be told, (people) really can’t taste the metal.”

Egelston said the wine industry has faced a similar challenge in introducing synthetic corks and screw tops for a longer and more reliable shelf life.

But Egelston thinks the portability of cans will ultimately convince most people to try them.

“It boils down to getting to move perceptions around,” he said. “Sometimes it takes a generational turn.”