Growlers in Decatur

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

Yeah, I have a Stone 40 oz metal canteen and a glass growler.  At their brewery they have the most awesome signs I've ever seen: 15 minute parking for growler fills.

Exactly.  I used to have a growler but left it behind when I left that state-whose-name-shall-not-be-mentioned but where Stone is located.  I don't see much of an advantage to filling a growler from a keg in a beer store.  Filling a growler from the freshest batch at one's local brewery is the whole point.  Well, maybe the change in the DoR regulations is the first step.  That's GA for ya--baby steps.

As long as I know that the "flow" through the well kept keg is happening enough to keep the lines flushed, I'LL TAKE A GROWLER FULL OF GOOD BEER FROM MY BEER STORE !

Has anyone checked with our several beerpubs to see if they will be filling growlers?  Huh ?


Damn Lorenzo, leaving a growler behind is not as bad as, but sortof like leaving a child or a favorite pet behind.  

Here is an inexpensive way to ride the growler train.   Take a couple bottles, fill them with your favorite brew, they should keep for several day.  I hear that they are bottom filling some growlers in MN. with a CO2 mixture to insure they stay fresh for a couple days.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/32-oz-ez-cap-bottle-amber-1-bottle.html

Another cooler one:

http://store.deschutesbrewery.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=GROWLER

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[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

I don't see much of an advantage to filling a growler from a keg in a beer store. 

Good for little parties when a keg is overkill. 

Even for a party I think a keg is overkill.  Well not a real big party where there are PBR drinkers.. 

I like bottled beer for the variety.  Though I am not a competitive drinker by any means, sometimes I have 20 or 50 kinds of beer between my college beer fridge in the great room and my garage "stash" refrigerator.  I can just watch CP's eyes roll when I say "I'm out of beer",  she says "you mean you don't have any Loose Cannon don't you" ?   LOL

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[Lorenzo]

I don't see much of an advantage to filling a growler from a keg in a beer store. 

Good for little parties when a keg is overkill.

The assumption is that the same beer isn't available in bottles?  May or may not be true.  Growlers are fun, but they do lose carbonation and are kind of unwieldy.  If the same beer is available in bottles, I'd rather bring bottles to a party.

Growlers are useful with breweries/brewpubs that sell kegs/draft only and don't have a bottling line.

[jpellett251]

I don't see much of an advantage to filling a growler from a keg in a beer store. 

Good for little parties when a keg is overkill.

The assumption is that the same beer isn't available in bottles?  May or may not be true.  Growlers are fun, but they do lose carbonation and are kind of unwieldy.  If the same beer is available in bottles, I'd rather bring bottles to a party.

Growlers are useful with breweries/brewpubs that sell kegs/draft only and don't have a bottling line.

For me it will really come down to the question of price per oz and whether it's a beer that could be bought in a bottle.  Hop City says they will mainly carry stuff you can't get in a bottle.

[biskuit]

Has anyone checked with our several beerpubs to see if they will be filling growlers?  Huh ?

My understanding is that brewpubs will not be able to do this since they serve on premise, and it would need to go through a distributor as well. Fun, huh?

[Lorenzo]

. . .
Hop City says they will mainly carry stuff you can't get in a bottle.

That would make sense.  I'm sure Hop City will do justice to the growler concept.  And I agree that price will be a consideration; growler beer should theoretically be a bargain, since there's normally no packaging step involved.  Of course, if instead of a local brewery filling directly from their tank we've got a beer store filling from an expensive keg of hard-to-find beer, it might not be cheaper than if the same beer were available in a bottle.  Can't wait to see what they offer and the price.

[Lorenzo]

Has anyone checked with our several beerpubs to see if they will be filling growlers?  Huh ?

My understanding is that brewpubs will not be able to do this since they serve on premise, and it would need to go through a distributor as well. Fun, huh?

Right.  This change in DoR regulations doesn't change the stupid 3-tier distribution system, so the major advantage of filling growlers--filling directly at the source--cannot yet be achieved in GA.

[totm]

Here is an inexpensive way to ride the growler train.  

train?  I thought it was growler plane.  In the Delta concourse in PDX there is a Rogue Tavern that sells growlers of several of their beers (growler of Double Dead Guy anyone?).  One beer from Delta and a growlers worth make quite the enjoyable flight.

[MadBob]

Here is an inexpensive way to ride the growler train.  

train?  I thought it was growler plane.  In the Delta concourse in PDX there is a Rogue Tavern that sells growlers of several of their beers (growler of Double Dead Guy anyone?).  One beer from Delta and a growlers worth make quite the enjoyable flight.

I think you are right!

[jpellett251]

Here is an inexpensive way to ride the growler train.  

train?  I thought it was growler plane.  In the Delta concourse in PDX there is a Rogue Tavern that sells growlers of several of their beers (growler of Double Dead Guy anyone?).  One beer from Delta and a growlers worth make quite the enjoyable flight.

My last trip back from PDX in December I was looking forward to that, but by the time I got there late to catch a redeye I was done with beer.  I cold barely drink one Shakespeare Stout.  Between the holiday ale fest and all the bars, at that point I just wanted some water.

[KoPP]

Hop City is launching growlers on Thursday the 14th after 5. I plan on being there.

No clue on what they plan to offer...

[bettylouski]

Not in Decatur, but the fairly new Beer Growler in Athens next to Gosford wine (and related to the 5&10 empire) has a nice selection.  Over the weekend we picked up Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous black IPA and Southern Tier 2XIPA.  The guys said they will keep for a month unopened and 48 hours once tapped.  We had the Stone last night with some ribs and had no problem finishing it,  I must say it was nice to have tap quality beer at home.  I can definitely see stopping in there every time we're over that way.  However, I'd really love it if Twain's was able to sell growlers.

[KoPP]

This from Kraig at Hop City:

Opening day highlights
include New Belgium Oo La La & 10-10, Red Brick 16th Anniv, Terrapin Moo Hoo
& Rye Squared

[jpellett251]

Some of the neat growlers that they are showing in Beer Advocate magazine are pretty snazzy, is there any word if they will only refill their own growlers ?

...

I just talked to Eddie at Ale Yeah about that.  He says the statute only really says that the growler has to be branded, and not that it has to come from the same establishment.  He said as nice as it would be to have a policy of only refilling Ale Yeah growlers he doesn't think it's feasible, so as long as it's a branded 64 oz growler he'll probably fill it.  He said they're still a few weeks away from being ready though, so nothing is set yet.

[bettylouski]

http://blogs.ajc.com/drink/2011/04/13/beer-town-hop-city-will-be-first-to-sell-growlers-in-atlanta/