Growlers and Crowlers: How does it all work?
What's a growler?
Simply put, a growler is a container used to transport draft beer and, more recently, wine. The term originated sometime between the late 1800s and early 1900s when the majority of beer consumed was draft beer. Beers brought home for family consumption were transported in containers, often galvanized steel pails with a lid. One popular theory states that the container sometimes rumbled due to escaping carbonation and was said to mimic the sound of “growling.” The container was thus dubbed a “growler” and the act of getting it home was called “rushing the growler.”
Growlers are beneficial for several reasons:
- Since draft beer is generally unpasteurized and stored cold, it is usually fresher and more flavorful than packaged beer.
- Many smaller breweries operate as draft-only due to the cost of bottling equipment. Other breweries offer special releases in draft-only format due to their limited nature. Serving Growlers allows us the opportunity to provide you with these limited beers that may not be available in bottles or cans.
- Since growlers are refillable, they are better for the environment.
- Last but not least, growlers are the perfect size for sharing.
GROWLER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What sizes of Growlers do you sell and how much does each serve?
- 16 oz or 1 pint, approx. 3 glasses of wine
- 32 oz serves a total of 2 pints
- 64 oz serves a total of 4 pints
- 128 oz (or 1 gallon) serves a total of 8 pints
Will you fill growlers from other locations?
We will fill any growler/container that stays within our size guidelines of 32, 64 or 128 ounces, with the exception of certain plastic containers. Leave the milk jugs at home.
How long will my growler last?
We suggest consuming your growler within two weeks of purchase, this is when the product is at its best. Once opened, you should consume within 24 hours.
How should I care for my growler?
When it comes to growlers, remember these three rules: keep it cold, keep it dark, and don’t keep it too long.
How do I clean my growler?
It is best to rinse your growler thoroughly several times with hot water as soon as you are done with it. To clean a growler you have left out overnight or longer, simply pour a little white vinegar in your growler and give it a good shake. Then rinse well. You can also use soap, but it tends to leave a film behind. Whatever you use, it is important to rinse well. Leaving residue in your growler will negatively affect the head retention of your beer.
How often does the growler line-up change?
Typically you can expect quite a few line-up changes each week. Some of the more sought out, specialty beers can go in a matter of hours. You can find updates and information on what we have to offer by visiting our On Tap page.
And what's a crowler?
A CROWLER® (CAN + growler) is a 32-ounce can filled with fresh beer or wine. It is a one-use, recyclable can that is filled and seamed at our location. It is made from aluminum that has 68% recycled content and is infinitely recyclable.
Here’s how a CROWLER® works:
With beer, we add a CO2 purge station to purge the cans before filling them, which helps assure that there is no beer-degrading oxygen added to the beer. For wine, a 70% Nitrogen/30% CO2 purge station is used. The CROWLER® is purged and immediately filled. Then the lid is applied and the CROWLER® is placed onto the seamer pedestal. The pedestal is turned so that the can is raised up and locked under pressure into the seamer and sealed.
With wine, cans, even big ones, are more portable and less breakable than glass, making the CROWLER® a natural partner for beaches, pools and other venues where glass is not allowed.
CROWLER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How long does a CROWLER® last?
We suggest consuming your beer CROWLER® within two weeks of purchase, this is when the beer is at its best. Once you open the CROWLER®, you should consume it in a single serving.
A CROWLER® of wine, if properly filled, will last upwards of four weeks. Using a basic white wine that would show the detrimental effects of exposure most readily, a wine tested at six weeks from its fill date showed no noticeable loss of aroma, flavor, balance, or color.
How should the CROWLER® be stored if not consumed immediately?
A beer CROWLER® should be refrigerated to preserve the freshness of the beer.
As a wine crowler is meant for near-term consumption, refrigeration is ideal, as the cold temperature slows the aging process of wine in general. For most red wines, simply let the crowler sit at room temperature for ~30 minutes to achieve the correct serving temperature.
I noticed that the wine is not filled to the top of the CROWLER®. Why is that?
As the majority of wines do not have the foaming properties of beer, filling the wine to the very top results in inevitable spillage due to the small amount of volume displacement that occurs when the crowler is opened. Therefore, leaving a small amount of ullage (space between the fill level and top of the crowler) prevents this from happening.