More About Growlers and Common Uses

If you are looking for growlers, we stock a number of different shapes and sizes, each of which can be printed with your company or brew's name or logo on it. The growler has a long and fascinating history and, although it moved into obscurity for a while, it is now once again gaining in popularity. Indeed, they are now so popular that you may immediately attract more attention to your store by having growlers in stock.

Towards the end of the 19th century, beer was taken home by people using a galvanized pail. It is believed that this is where the word "growler" originated, as the carbon dioxide escaping from the lid made a growling noise. Things didn't change much until the 1920s, at which point many cities outlawed growlers altogether. And, when Prohibition was repealed in 1933, growlers weren't really able to regain much of their popularity. Indeed, during the 1950s and 1960s, people would use cardboard containers resembling Chinese soup containers to carry home their beer. This was also because most bars were not allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays, forcing people to purchase sufficient beer to see them through the weekend and store it in a growler. Towards the end of the 1960s, however, bars were able to sell on any day and the growler concept seemed to die completely.

It wasn't until 1989, when Charlie Otto and his father decided that local customers should be able to take beer home, that the growler saw a revival. They could not create bottles in those days and Otto's father remembered the growlers from days gone by. It was their efforts that brought the growler back to popularity and we thank them for this. Since then, they have become collectors' items, and we stock a great variety of growlers to suit your specific needs. See the Brewers Association facts about Growlers.

10 Reasons Breweries Should Sell Growlers

Custom printed growlers are popular with customers because they make it possible to get draft beer “to go” without buying a whole keg. But why should you, as a brewery owner, want to carry them?

Here are a few good reasons:

1. To get more repeat business. Customers who buy a custom beer growler with your brewery’s name on it are more likely to come back. Once the beer is gone, the growler will sit on the counter or in the cupboard with the glasses as a constant reminder. Sooner or later, they will pick it up and bring it back for a refill.
2. To enhance your brand image. A really nice design will stand out and improve the way your customers see your business, but make sure you keep the style of the design in sync with the rest of your branding. If your brewery is edgy and hip, your growlers should be too.
3. To get free advertising. Some of your customers will go home and share their craft beer with friends and family. Maybe they’ll bring it out for Sunday night football with the guys and get talking with their buddies about your beer. Word of mouth is the best advertising you can get.
4. To increase your profit margin. If you are bottling your own brew but not offering a refillable option to your customers, you have to buy new bottles every time. Selling refillable beer growlers is often a more profitable option.
5. To sell more beer. Allowing your customers to take their beer “to go” increases the likelihood that they will buy more right before they leave. This is a sale you would miss out on otherwise.
6. To avoid interruptions in service. When a keg gets low, you can bottle the remaining beer up in growlers while you tap the next keg. This way, you can still serve customers while you’re changing over.
7. To attract new customers. Adding beer growlers to your product line gives you something new to advertise. You can use the novelty of the new product to lure new customers into your brewery.
8. To save the environment. Reusing bottles is even more eco-friendly than recycling. If your customers care about the environment—and most of them probably do—they’ll like the idea of buying beer in refillable containers.
9. To encourage sampling. Your customers can buy three or four different varieties and sample them at home at their leisure.
10. Because your customers want them. The bottom line is supply and demand: If your customers want growlers and you don’t supply them, they might just go find another brewer who does. Give your customers what they want, and they’ll keep coming back.