BinghamtonEd
Well-Known Member
Saw another thread that got me thinking...what do you pay for a growler refill? Around here a 64oz runs about $10-$15. This assumes you've already purchased the growler itself.
Cost of growler fills?
- Thread starter BinghamtonEd
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kpr121
Well-Known Member
I find it’s all over the place around me. Some places fill up 64 oz of regular beers for $8, specialty beers for $10 or $12. Some charge by the pint price you’d pay at the bar. Some give you a discount, for instance pay for 3 pints worth and get the 4th free.
I will say that generally the places that have $8 growlers don’t have great beer. And the places that charge exactly what you would if paid by the pint at bar generally have better beer but you end up paying $20+ for it.
Both of these situations end with me not buying growlers much. I can fill up a growler of my homebrew for about $0.50!
I will say that generally the places that have $8 growlers don’t have great beer. And the places that charge exactly what you would if paid by the pint at bar generally have better beer but you end up paying $20+ for it.
Both of these situations end with me not buying growlers much. I can fill up a growler of my homebrew for about $0.50!
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BinghamtonEd
Well-Known Member
Part of what keeps me from getting more fill-ups is having 4 or 5 grocery stores near me doing the mix-n-match 6 for 9.99. I can get 72oz of quality variety or pay more for 64oz of a single something (still good quality). Or yeah, just drink my own stuff. But sometimes a six pack of Southern Tier 2x IPA and Hopnotic is just too hard to pass up.
MuddyCreek
Well-Known Member
The brewery around here charges $8.00 I believe. I'm not sure if this area would support much more than that. Somewhat economically depressed...
$10-14 is pretty standard around here; I know of one place that does $8 on Sundays. The best deal in town might be Hair of the Dog, which fills a growler for 15 bucks - these are 10-12% beers like Adam or Fred, which cost at least 4 bucks for 12oz at the store or in the pub.
This.
I only do growlers when it's something that is truly unique and I plan to drink it up within a day (I'm the only beer-drinker in my house). But with some growler fills approaching $15 around here, it has to be something earth-shattering.
I picked up three bombers of Black Butte for $2.99 a pop last night. One of my favorite micros for the money. Nine bucks for about the same amount of brew and I don't have to drink it all up the same day.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
The local growler stations start at $9 and go up from there depending on the beer. Might have to go get a fill of Double Jack for $14 tonight. Boneyard $6 on Wednesdays, Silvermoon $6 Tues & Wed, and various other daily deals at the other places.
Ostomo517
Well-Known Member
Only breweries are allowed to sell growlers here and its usually about $10-$15 however I always head to New Holland Brewing on tuesdays because the weekly special is $6 growler fill which is awesome especially for such a large brewery.
I've seen as high as in the $30's for rare/high gravity specialty stuff...but then again, a local bar I frequent does growler fills at their tap rates (by volume), so you're essentially paying for four regular or 5.5 specialty drafts per growler fill. Very pricey. Saw a guy buy and walk out with two growlers plus dinner and his bill was well over $100.
At the source breweries I think it's anywhere from $8-16, so I'd say it's generally costly.
At the source breweries I think it's anywhere from $8-16, so I'd say it's generally costly.
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
Last time I went to the local brewpub it was $13.00 for 64oz of Altbier.
It's cheaper than buying it by the glass, so I'm not complaining too much. I wish it were a little cheaper though, I could buy a whole sixer of craft beer for much cheaper.
It's cheaper than buying it by the glass, so I'm not complaining too much. I wish it were a little cheaper though, I could buy a whole sixer of craft beer for much cheaper.
I've given up on growlers, due to our archaic refill laws in MN. Breweries can only fill their growlers, so unless you frequent a particular taproom, you end up with a collection of half-gallon glass jugs gathering dust.
And I was just thinking "what is the AHA going to do with themselves now that homebrewing is legal in all 50 states?"
Guess there's always going to be another law to try and change.
Ostomo517
Well-Known Member
So if it has a diff logo you cant use it??
Correct.
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OP
BinghamtonEd
Well-Known Member
There was a place in town that used to be like that, but now they'll fill anything. When the place I normally go to opened up, I asked the guy if they would fill other people's growlers, his answer was "Yeah. The less glassware I sell, the less glassware I have to unload off a truck. I'll fill anything."
"Sweet, let me grab my 5-gallon gas can."
I have heard of people in some states being able to get fills in things like 2-liter pop bottles, mason jars, etc.
Minnesota's problem, I believe, is based on a long-standing prohibition of repackaging of beer & liquor. When MN passed the so-called "Surly bill" a few years back to allow growler sales, this issue became a glaring omission. That's why if you have a growler from brewery X, you can only get it refilled at brewery X. Not a very "green" solution, IMO.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe California has a similar issue. I recall seeing signs to that effect in taprooms in San Diego last time I was there.
Sorry if I'm steering this thread a bit OT.
ajlee
Well-Known Member
Growler Fill $9.00/$10.00 seasonal
Tuesday & Thursday $6.00 (excluding seasonals)
Tuesday & Thursday $6.00 (excluding seasonals)
kpr121
Well-Known Member
I've heard of this before, and maybe it wasnt Minnesota, but some brewery beat the system by giving you a brewery logo sticker prior to you asking for a growler fill. Slap their sticker over top of whatever else was there before, and you have yourself a “Brewery X” growler!
I've heard about that too, and some of them even use removable stickers. I guess if they want to sell beer bad enough they will find a work-around.
Some breweries also shrink-wrap the cap, so the customer doesn't run afoul of open container laws while transporting.
6 bucks at the breweries on locals day. The growler stations don't seem to be giving deals, 10 bucks usually. I've seen the Duchesse and Chimay for like $27...rediculous. I worry about the tap and line sanitation at some of the stations, like the ones at grocery stores.
Were doing the wine growlers now too, up to two gallon vessels. http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/oregon_senate_approves_wine_gr.html
Were doing the wine growlers now too, up to two gallon vessels. http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/oregon_senate_approves_wine_gr.html
PackerfaninSanDiego
Member
10 - 14 here too. I only have one growler. Not sure I like the idea to do the growler thing especially when I'm forced to drink the beer within two days
Yep, CA is the same. You have to get a fill AT the brewery and they can only fill a growler with their own logo... *And* address has to be on the growler -- Pizza Port growlers have all 4 brewery addresses on them now.
I wish we could have growler fill bars -- I've heard Whole Foods in some states does that, and they just opened a WF about 2.5 miles away.
I don't believe they have made an official ruling on that yet. I do know that it's always a classy move to lay down an extra dollar or two when getting a fill-up.
Never bite the hand that pulls the tap handle.
In VT we have to use labeled growlers of the place selling the beer which allows liquor stores to sell. Prices range from 8 to 20 or so. Really only Hill Farmstead is that expensive. Growlers can last a week or a little more if the are capped on foam or have been purged which is what HF does. Once you open plan on drinking in 1 sitting.
I don't really do growlers anymore unless it is something I just cannot get in bottles. 6-packs are much less expensive than growler fills per oz, so I don't understand the draw other than the beer store creating hype around the "experience" of getting growler fills. I'm too much of a cheapskate for that nonsense.
My last growler (other than one I received as a gift) was when SN Narwhal was only available on tap.
My last growler (other than one I received as a gift) was when SN Narwhal was only available on tap.
PackerfaninSanDiego
Member
now that I found out I can not use someone else's growler, my one and only growler will be my only one.....that's crap you can't take an unmarked growler into a brewery,,,,,glad I don't have to do that with gas cans
