What is a Beer Growler?

“What is a beer growler?” “Why is it called a growler?” “Should beer lovers all have growlers? Are these questions growling in your head?

We may have some bad puns, but you are in the right place! Today, we will get to know the beer growler. With that, we will answer all these questions and much more!

We have plenty to discuss about growlers today. With that, let us not delay! Let us jump right into this discussion now!

What Is a Growler?

First thing, first. Let us go ahead and answer what a beer growler is.

Simply put, a beer growler is a container to hold a volume of beer. However, it is not just any container! (It was, but we will get to that later when we talk about the beer growler’s history.)

As we have said, the beer growler is a vessel. It generally holds around 1 to 2 liters of beer. However, its job does not end there. In addition to keeping a volume of beer, it should also preserve its quality. In other words, it should allow its user to get beer from one place and get it to another, having the same look, smell, and taste!

In addition to all that was said, a beer growler often comes in three types of materials. Now, before we move on, let us briefly talk about the three common types of beer growlers.

The 3 Types of Beer Growlers

The three common types of growlers are glass, ceramic, and stainless steel. All serve the same purpose. That is, to hold and preserve a volume of beer as best as they can. However, each one could be of better (or worse) aid than the others, depending on your needs. With that, let us take a quick look at the set of ups and downs each one has to offer.

Type	Advantage	Disadvantage
Glass	See-Through	Fragile
Ceramic	Aesthetic	Expensive, Not See-Through, Fragile, Heavy, Difficult to Clean
Stainless Steel	Sturdy	Not See-Through

Note that these are only some of the common types of beer growlers. There are others. With some exploring, you will likely find other kinds (e.g., plastic).

On the other hand, as you can see, each type of beer growler offers different advantages and disadvantages. These ups and downs likely would become clearer to you later. With that, feel free to refer back to this chart as we go on with our discussion. For now, though, let us take a quick look at this vessel’s history and how it got its name.

A Brief History of Growlers

One could say growlers started with pails. However, as you can already imagine, that is not the best way to handle brews. Shortly, lids got added to the first beer growlers.

After that, innovations to the beer growler came one after another until it reached what we know today. From looking like a pail, beer growlers now come in many different shapes, sizes, and types!

However, there is one thing that is not clear about the history of this container. That is, how did it get its name? We might never get to the bottom of this question. However, there are a few famous theories. Here are three of them:

• The Growler Named Itself. The first theory suggests this container named itself. That is, it got called as such as it emitted growling sounds. (This “growl” was likely because of the carbon dioxide escaping it.)
• The Growl of Stomachs Named the Vessel. The second theory suggests that this container got named as such because the beer in these vessels was supposed to help appease growling stomachs.
• Those Who Drank from Growlers Named the Container. The third theory suggests that this vessel got its name as someone who finishes the entirety of it becomes a “growler.”

5 Reasons Why You Should Use Growlers

Earlier, one of the questions we posed is if every beer lover should own a growler. As you can guess, the answer is no. However, here are five reasons why you should consider adding one or two beer growlers to your beer accessories!

1. Beer Growlers are Ecological

As you can guess, beer growlers can lessen the use of packaging. While one or two bottles or cans might not hurt, try to imagine and calculate all the bottles and cans a drinker accumulates through the years! Beer growlers can help lessen that number!

2. Beer Growlers are Economical

Beer growlers can also help save a few bucks. You might be surprised, but for one, there are many places that offer different kinds of discounts when you use a beer growler when buying from them!

3. Beer Growlers Can be Personalized

A beer growler can also help show your personality or style. There are many places that offer customizing beer growlers. So, you can put the logo of your favorite sports team or a quirky beer-related quote on it, for example.

4. Beer Growlers Are Easy to Use

Beer growlers offer many good things. However, it is not a complicated tool to use. Aside from some maintenance, all you really have to do is bring it to the brewery of your choice and have them fill it up. After that? Your growler is ready to accompany you on your trip!

5. For the Love of Beer

Finally, one should consider getting a beer growler simply for one’s love of beer. Have you ever wanted to take home a brew that did not come in cans or bottles? With a beer growler, you will finally be able to take this brew home. In addition, it would now be easier to share them with friends!

These are only some of the top reasons why having a beer growler could be ideal. There are lots more that you could discover!

5 Things to Keep in Mind with Growlers

Are you now thinking of getting a beer growler of your own? Well, there are a few things you might want to consider. Let us talk about them before you go.

1. Check the Rules for Beer Growlers in Your Place

You might be surprised, but there are rules for using growlers in some areas. For example, some places require exchanging empty growlers for full growlers from your chosen breweries. In other words, you cannot use your own growler directly in these places.

On the other hand, you want to check in with your brewery too. Breweries likely almost always have rules for growlers. However, you do not have to worry. These places probably do not have rules as strict as state laws.

2. Clean Your Beer Growlers Properly

Do not forget to clean your growlers as soon as possible. While growlers do not require any particular cleaning that is out of the ordinary, you want to clean them quickly. This way, you can avoid further problems.

In addition, some breweries will offer to clean your growler before filling it up. While you might have already done that, you still want to take the offer! If a place offers cleaning, they most likely know how to handle your growler well.

3. Fill Your Beer Growlers Properly

More often than not, you will not be filling your own growler. However, that does not mean you do not have a part in the filling process!

First, whether a place offers to clean growlers or not, it would be ideal to come in with a clean one. After that, you also want to check your growler does not have any defects before you hand it over for filling. Finally, overfilling is a big no. With that, it should not be surprising to find your growler not filled to the rim!

4. Treat Beer Growlers as You Would Beer Bottles and Cans

While a beer growler might look sturdier than beer bottles and cans, that does not mean you should no longer try protecting it and its contents. For one, store a beer growler properly. For another, ensure it does not experience extreme temperature changes. Finally, do or do not do whatever you would or would not do to a beer bottle or can.

5. Beer Growlers Are Not Magic Lamps

As we have said above, the job of a beer growler is to hold a particular volume of beer and preserve it. Despite that, a beer growler will not be able to keep the quality of the beer it has forever. In other words, there is a time limit. Typically, that is around a few days to a week and a half.

Final Words

What is a beer growler? Today, we got up close and personal with this handy tool. We hope we got to help you get to know it. In addition, we also hope we got to help you add another tool to your beer accessory arsenal.

However, growlers are not the only beer tool to know. If you want to know more beer accessories and tools, you might want to check out our other talks! With that, we leave you to your growler-hunting journey!