Monday, November 10, 2014

Growler 101 - Your reusable beer conveyance technology explained!

The William Street Beer Co. is ecstatic to announce that our high quality, small batch brewed craft beer is now available in reusable 1.89L glass containers...or growlers. These amber glass jugs allow us to provide you with fresh product at the best possible price. You are only required to pay a one time deposit and, after that, you are only paying for the contents; fresh craft beer. However, there are a few things that you should probably know about growlers and their care.

History
In a pre-prohibition era, when most towns and communities had a brewery or two, and modern packaging was not yet in place, people would travel to the local brewer armed with a container of their choice, often a milk bucket, to purchase a volume of fresh beer. They would take them home for consumption over the following days and would certainly open themselves up to spoilage and contamination. In response, brewers who cared aggressively about customer experience created air tight vessels that would allow for enjoyment over a reasonable time period.

Our Growler
The William Street Beer Co. has selected a 1.89L amber glass jug for our growler program. This is a proven format which ensures product stability. In addition, we "counter fill" our growlers in the same way as our 650ml bottles. This means that each container is purged of air with CO2, to ensure that the beer never comes in contact with harmful environmental factors...namely oxygen.

The contents of a 1.89L Growler is roughly equal to three of our 650ml bottles, or about a standard 6-pack. You will find that this is a very economic way of purchasing craft beer, especially for those who are local and likely to visit with some frequency.

Growler Care
The first thing that you should know, is that a growler is filled with carbonated liquid and contents are under reasonable pressure. Under normal conditions, this is a great thing that ensures correct draught style carbonation in your glass. However, care should be taken to avoid dramatic temperature changes (ie. being left in a hot car under direct sunlight) as this can result in increased internal pressure.

The most frequent question we get about growlers is regarding shelf life. As a rule, they should be opened within 72 hours to ensure product freshness. Once opened, be sure to reseal immediately after pouring. If you do this, contents should remain fresh, delicious and carbonated for over 48hrs.

Once every delicious drop has been consumed, it's time to clean your growler. Please avoid all household detergents, especially dishwashing liquids. Do not put the growler in the dishwasher. All that we would ask you to do is rinse twice with hot water, drain in your drying rack and then store with the lid off until returned. We will ensure that the vessel is "beer clean" before it gets refilled.

How Does the Program Work?
There are two separate items involved when you purchase a growler from the William Street Beer Co. Firstly, there is a deposit on the vessel. This is paid only once and it can be returned for value at any time. Secondly, there is a fill value for the beer. This will vary based on beer style. Once you have paid your deposit, you will find that the subsequent fills are an amazing value.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Cheers!