IRON MAIDEN's Trooper beer is to be sold in America in 500ml 'tallboy' cans. The ale – which has been a hit since it was first launched by Stockport-based Robinsons Brewery in 2013 – will go on sale in the US in January.

Oliver Robinson, managing director of Robinsons Brewery, tells the Manchester Evening News: “At the start of the millennium only a handful of small North American producers were canning their beers.

"Today, it’s the biggest growth area in the US craft industry with more than 400 US 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 UK as well.

"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."