The Year of the Growler: “The Beer Growler” Taps Avondale
Decatur Metro | June 16, 2011
Patch reported yesterday that “The Beer Growler” – the Athens joint that was the first store in the state to start selling fresh beer in those throwback 64 oz jugs – is slated to open a second location in Avondale next month. The growler-revolutionaries plan to renovate the former InMovement dance studio space at 38 North Avondale Road.
I’m just getting into the growler swing of things and have been wondering, can you use one growler store’s growlers at another location? Also, is it just me, or do you tend to drink more when you have an open growler in the fridge?
Photo from The Beer Growler website
The great thing about growlers is having the ability to enjoy incredibly fresh beer at home. However, the beer starts going flat pretty fast and is best consumed the same day it is opened. A gallon of beer is, for the two of us, a lot to drink in one day. I hate to waste good beer so, yeah, there is a tendency to drink more. A half growler would be perfect.
I think DM’s correct that growlers are 64 ounces, so that’s a half gallon, not a gallon. Four pints, poured full.
The things I learned in school that never really sunk into my brain would make for a very, very thick book. In this particular case it is probably because they had me convinced that we would soon be on the metric system.
I had one stayed relatively carbonated for a full two days. With another brew, not so much, so I think shelf life depends on the beer. I love the convenience of not having to commit to a full bottle of beer. We have these little 6 oz. juice glasses. I like to have little taste whenever I want, like with breakfast. I wouldn’t feel fearful to take a competitor’s bottle into an alternate store. It’s a pretty supportive community. The last time I was in Ale Yeah, a fellow customer asked if they ever did beer tastings. The proprietor said they aren’t allowed in Georgia, only wine tastings. But they’re working on legislation to change that.
I guess we’re heavy drinkers at my house. The wife and I have no problem killing a growler in one day. Usually 2.5 pints for me, 1.5 for her. I guess if it was an exceptionally high gravity beer, we might make it last two days.
amateurs!
Learned last evening that it depends on the city location of the store as to whether you can have one store’s growler filled at another’s taps. As I understand it, Avondale says no – has to be filled at the same store it came from. Decatur says it doesn’t matter what store it came from, as long as it has the government warning label on it.
Excellent, thanks for the good info.
The Beer Growler was the first store to fill growlers in the state adn we DO fill anyones growlers as long as they have a goverment warning on them, that is our policy so please don’t confuse that with any of these other stores that have jumped on the Growler Bandwagon. We will continue to fill any growlers other than our own as ong as they have the goverment warning on it.
BTW we Sanitize our own bottles and we do NOT reuse growler caps, the rubber seal in the cap cannot be properly sanitized and they deteriorate after one use. If you are wondering why Growlers are going flat from other locations……. USE new caps on every fill. I hope this was helpful
Currently Hop City’s (our usual grower spot) rule is Hop-City-only branded bottles. I’ve heard there’s some interpretation in the law, so probably worth checking with each shop first. We have an excellent pop-top growler at home that I’d like to use again at some point.
We’ve had good luck with growers staying good for 2-3 days in the fridge. Lower carbonated ales tend to hang out better than bubbly lagers. We usually only get them in anticipation of dinner guests, so finishing one or two is not a problem.
One would think that the quality of the lid on the growler would make a big difference re: carbonation. Is that in fact the key issue?
Either way, this is very cool.
The cap is very important, many of the new growler stores are reusing their growler caps and this will cause growlers to go flat quickly, reusing the cap does not create the adequate seal to keep the ber fresh. We have tested this theory and found that we can get 4-6 weeks out of a new cap and between 2-4 days on a reused cap. Ask for a new cap on every Growler fill and you will have a fully carbinated growler fill when you are ready to consume it.
Hipsters and their microbrews are comic gold.
Then you don’t know comedy. Enjoy your $12 glass of cotes du rhone.
Hipsters drink PBR, that’s not produced by a microbrewery.
Also, most of the beer available for growlers comes from craft breweries not microbreweries.
You might want to stick to Bud Light and just enjoy your NASCAR.
Ah, but contempt for new interests is always de rigueur! Who’s the hipster now?
In Bullseye’s defense, the growler trend (like nearly all hipster trends) grew out of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Today they even have growlers available at their neighborhood Duane Reade (aka Walgreens)!
Ale Yeah will fill another store’s growler as long as it is branded on the back with the Government Warning. (and it was delicious! and they have cans of great beer to take to the pool!)
A growler is a great thing for company or to take to a party. Caused quite a stir last weekend at a party with people who didn’t know they were available here.
My wife and I have no problem finishing a growler in one day or an evening for that matter. If you are a regular beer drinker and are eating something as well it will be empty before you want it to be!