Are Growlers Worth The Money? Your Favorite Beer On The Go
Yes, beer growlers are worth it. If you enjoy taking booze from your cup and getting some added benefits at a lower price, beer growlers are the way to go. If you’re still not sold, this post will prove that it lives up to the hype and enumerates all the reasons why you need one.
For those who aren’t familiar with this container, a growler is an airtight jug with a handle made to transport beer from breweries, bars, and brewpubs. It allows you to take beer for some time without an outright reduction in the beer’s quality.
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Advantages of Using a Beer Growler
1. It’s a great investment
Every time you buy something that’s quite pricey, such as a beer growler, think of it as an investment. What’s great about them is that they are reusable and they last for years when handled properly, saving you money from buying a new one every once in a while.
2. It allows easy transportation of beer
Whether you’re heading for a festival, a concert, or your friend’s house, you are assured that your beer is safely stored in a growler without affecting it. And you can do it effortlessly since most growers have handles.
3. You can bring your favorite beer home
If one glass of your favorite draft beer isn’t enough, a growler lets you bring more straight to your home so you can continue drinking. That way, you don’t have to worry about getting drunk.
4. You can share a beer with friends
The huge capacity of a growler enables you to share the beer with a friend or two. Partaking beer from a growler is best done with a company and finish it in just one sitting. You also get to drink the beer fresh.
5. It keeps beer always available
Say you are at a party and the keg is almost out. You can transfer the remaining beer in a growler so you can still serve beer while the keg is getting refilled. Very handy, right?
6. It stores fresh beer
If left unopened, beer can be kept in a growler for as long as 10 days. The beer’s flavor profile will only change when the growler is opened in between storage.
7. It promotes local breweries
The very purpose of beer growlers is to carry beer that is not available in cans or bottles so in essence, craft beers. Growlers help spread the word about local beer which has a very different flavor than canned or bottled ones. And some breweries even offer low prices so it’s a win-win.
8. It helps the environment
Because growlers are reusable, they reduce bottle and can production. Although cans and bottles can be recycled, the process still emits harmful gases. So if people used growlers more, they only need beer glasses which have a significant impact on the environment.
Disadvantages of Having a Beer Growler
1. State restrictions
Perhaps the biggest constraint one faces before buying a growler is whether your state has regulations against its use. Some areas do not allow the filling of growlers while others require some standards on what the growler should be. To verify if your state allows or prohibits beer growler usage, check the Brewers Association page.
2. Temperature of beer eventually deteriorates
One way or another, beer will start to get warm, especially when traveling. That’s why it is best to consume beer from a growler with friends as soon as possible because it tastes better when it’s fresh.
3. It can affect the beer’s taste
When opening a growler, oxygen gets into contact with the beer inside. And when it is closed again, that oxygen affects the beer’s taste and eventually makes it flat.
4. It needs maintenance
To make the growler last, one needs to care for it from time to time. You need to immediately clean it after vacating and handle it with caution so it won’t have dents or scratches. This may require space for storage as well as special cleaning tools.
Types of Beer Growlers
Different materials have been used to produce growlers to keep the beer intact for some time. These materials are glass, stainless steel, and ceramics. They are preferred by different people for various reasons.
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Ceramic Growlers
The ceramic kinds of beer growlers are beautiful works of art. They are harder to find and cost quite a fortune compared to other types. They are heavy and you can't see the inside when you go to refill, so filling might be a tad difficult. They keep the beer cool, though they are susceptible to being chipped or cracked if handled carelessly.
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Stainless Steel Growlers
Stainless steel growlers are easier to carry and less likely to break due to mishandling. They insulate and chill the beer simultaneously, so they are great accessories that you'll love carrying around. But since you can't see the inside of the growler, you may have problems with keeping it clean and knowing when you're running out of beer.
Modern technology has combined all the best beer growler properties to create the uKeg Carbonated Growler. This stainless steel plated growler looks stylish and features a double-walled vacuum insulated with a carbon dioxide regulator lid for long-term beer storage. It also has a built-in pressure gauge and a sight glass that lets you see the remaining quantity.
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Glass Growlers
Glass beer growlers are the most popular and widely available type. They are available in amber or clear glasses. A growler made of clear glass makes beer stale faster than any kind of beer package if exposed to the sun's UV rays. The good thing is, you can see inside of the jug, and you know when you're running out of beer so refilling is easy. They break, crack, or chip easily when not handled carefully.
How Do You Keep Your Beer Growler Clean?
Cleaning your beer growler can be a bit challenging, especially if you can't see the inside. Hence the need to rinse immediately with hot water after you take the last beer from it. Use a brush to clean the inside if it is really dirty and air dry for sometime after cleaning. You can also soak it in sanitizer to get rid of bacteria.
How Do You Fill a Beer Growler? Is it Expensive?
Filling a growler is less expensive, quantity-wise, than buying multiple cans or bottles of beer. The filling is done in three ways.
- Using the counter-pressure carbon dioxide filling that drains the oxygen out before it fills, preventing oxidation.
- Using a bottom-up filling which is done by inserting the filling-tip to fit the growler with increased oxygen, making the beer go stale in a short time.
- Pouring directly from the faucet. This is not advisable and should be the last resort if there are no alternative ways.
Why Is It Called a Growler?
No one knows exactly the history and why it’s called a growler, but we all guess that growling was involved. A school of thought believes that either a bartender or his customer was responsible for the growling as the bartender was supposed to fill the growler with only a pint of beer, while his customer argued to get something that held more than just a pint. Someone was left displeased and was said to have growled, hence the name.
Another school of thought believes the term arose from the hissing sounds of lids from galvanized pails made from the escaping carbon dioxide while being transported. No one argues any of the two myths because we don't really know. Perhaps the truth may be hidden in one of them.
Growler Vs. Crowler
While a growler can be 64 ounces big, a crowler only fills 32 ounces of beer. A growler can be constructed out of three materials but a crowler is only available in aluminum. Unlike beer growlers, crowlers are not reusable. Despite these differences, both are designed to make the transportation of craft beer easy.
Conclusion
The advantages of using beer growlers definitely outweigh the disadvantages. You will not regret having a growler because it lets you consume delicious craft beer wherever while helping local breweries and the environment at the same time. We hope this post helped you decide to buy the best beer growler.
If you enjoyed this read, share it or let us know in the comments below.
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Comments
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Very Nice video, I have a Growler I will like you to review Am about to lunch a mini keg "Simbock " I can send you one for review. its a pressurized growler with C02, Easy transportable Easy to store Here is my email if you are okay to mail you one of my growler
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