Pacific Magic Goes Portable: North Coast Brewing Company Releases Its West Coast IPA in Cans

If you’re a fan of bright, classic West Coast IPAs, there’s some exciting news coming out of Northern California. North Coast Brewing Company has officially announced that its Pacific Magic West Coast IPA is now available in cans, giving beer lovers another way to enjoy the crisp, hop-forward brew.

For fans of the beer—and anyone who appreciates the timeless West Coast IPA profile—this move makes Pacific Magic more accessible and more portable while keeping everything that makes the beer stand out in the first place.

A Classic West Coast IPA Profile

Pacific Magic is designed to highlight everything beer fans love about the West Coast IPA style. The beer delivers a bright and crisp profile with expressive hop character, balanced by a clean, refreshing finish.

Rather than leaning into the softer, hazier profiles that have dominated the IPA scene in recent years, Pacific Magic sticks to the roots of the style: clarity, bitterness, and hop-driven flavor.

It’s the kind of IPA that reminds you why the West Coast style helped ignite the modern craft beer movement.

Why the Can Release Matters

While Pacific Magic has been available in bottles, the introduction of cans brings several practical advantages for drinkers.

First, cans offer superior protection from light exposure, which helps preserve the flavor and freshness of hop-forward beers like IPAs. They also chill faster, making them perfect for situations where you want to enjoy a cold beer quickly.

And let’s be honest—cans are just easier when you’re on the move.

Whether you're packing a cooler for a backyard gathering, heading out to the lake, going camping, or just stocking the fridge at home, cans make it simple to bring great beer along for the ride.

The good news is that the original bottle format isn’t going anywhere. North Coast Brewing Company plans to continue offering Pacific Magic in bottles alongside the new cans, giving fans the freedom to choose whichever format works best for them.

A Sustainable Approach to Packaging

One of the most interesting aspects of the new release is the packaging choice.

Pacific Magic cans are bundled using Eco Rings, which are a 100% compostable, plant-based alternative to traditional plastic six-pack rings. Unlike plastic carriers that can linger in the environment for decades, Eco Rings are designed to break down naturally in both home and commercial compost environments.

For a brewery located on the Mendocino Coast, that decision carries extra meaning.

“Our love of the ocean is deeply woven into our story,” said Jennifer Owen, CEO/CFO of North Coast Brewing Company. “Releasing Pacific Magic in easily recyclable cans with compostable rings offers our fans a more portable way to enjoy the IPA they love while helping to keep the ocean plastics-free.”

It’s a small change that reflects a broader effort many craft breweries are making to reduce environmental impact and protect the communities and ecosystems around them.

The Artwork Behind Pacific Magic

The packaging for Pacific Magic is also worth taking a moment to appreciate.

The artwork, featured on both bottles and cans, was created by local biologist and artist Michael Zontos. The illustration captures a stunning coastal scene filled with vivid ocean blues, colorful sunset tones, and the unmistakable silhouette of a gray whale.

According to the brewery, the artwork was inspired by a real-life moment when Zontos was kayak fishing near the Noyo Headlands and witnessed a whale breaching beside him. That unforgettable encounter became the inspiration for the split-scene design that shows life both above and below the ocean’s surface.

It’s a fitting visual for a brewery so closely tied to the coastal environment where it was founded.

A Brewery with a Long Craft Beer Legacy

Founded in 1988, North Coast Brewing Company has been part of the craft beer movement since its early days. Over the years, the brewery has built a reputation for producing award-winning beers that have become staples for craft beer drinkers.

Among their best-known releases are Scrimshaw Pilsner and the legendary Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, both of which have earned loyal followings among beer enthusiasts.

Pacific Magic continues that tradition with a hop-forward offering that stays true to the classic West Coast IPA style while adding a bit of coastal inspiration along the way.

Final Thoughts

From a craft beer fan’s perspective, the move to cans just makes sense.

It keeps the beer protected, makes it easier to bring along on adventures, and adds a more sustainable packaging option with the compostable Eco Rings.

And if you already enjoy Pacific Magic, the great news is that nothing about the beer itself has changed. It’s still the same bright, crisp, balanced West Coast IPA—just now in a format that’s even easier to enjoy wherever the moment takes you.

So whether you prefer bottles or cans, there’s now another way to crack open a Pacific Magic and raise a glass to the coast.