The Session #60- Growlers!

The 60th issue of The Session is hosted by the Washington Beer Blog, who feels that growlers deserve their due:

These days people take growlers for granted. In my neck of the woods, growlers are a relatively new phenomenon. I don’t recall exactly when they appeared on the local beer scene but it could not have been more than eight or ten years ago. Maybe they existed in obscurity before. My memory fails me. Today growlers are everywhere. I think. Growlers are very common around the Pacific Northwest, anyway. I cannot speak to their popularity elsewhere. I’d love to know.

Tell us about your growler collection. Tell us why you love growlers or why you hate them. What is the most ridiculous growler you’ve ever seen? Tell us about your local growler filling station. Ever suffer a messy growler mishap? Anything related to growlers is acceptable.

When it comes to Growlers, I love them.  Not on the same level as my brother, who has what it seems like a shrine to them in his basement, but in the "I love the taste of draft beer at home" way. Growlers, for those who do not know, are bottles that are filled with draft beer to go.

What I absolutely love about growlers is that it gives brewpubs the ability to sell beer to people to enjoy at home without installing a bottle line or hand bottling.  One of my favorite places on earth to drink beer, Selin's Grove Brewing, sells most of their beer to go in growlers (only select rarities, cask and beers on nitrogen are not sold in growlers). This has allowed me to share their goodness with many people who haven't come close to Selinsgrove, PA. 

Growlers also allow the brewpubs to capitalize on their customers who come and try the sampler. When my brothers (and sometimes I) try the sampler at a brewpub, he finds the beer he likes the most and takes a growler home with him.  This helps increase sales for the brewpub, as well as allowing him to enjoy the beer a second time (which would/could lead him to returning).

Overall, I find that it is a win-win for brewpubs to have growlers and support their use.

*While I do love being able to take home beer from bars that sell in growlers, I felt that the mutual benefit of both the brewpubs and consumers was more important to write about.