Only fill their own growlers?

[BaldApe]

Hi all,

A local gourmet-ish grocery store started filling growlers a while back, and I subscribed to their emails about what they had available. Mostly it's been things I consider a bit weird, so I didn't actually go there until yesterday. They had a Mild I really wanted to try.

I knew about the Maryland law that requires a label warning you that the stuff in the growler is beer (snark) and that it is the customer's responsibility to be sure the growler is clean (ya think?) so I selected a growler from a local brewery that had the required label.

I was told that they only fill their own growlers, and that they would exchange my growler for theirs at no charge.

That rubbed me the wrong way. Seems to me that it defeats the purpose of keeping a growler when you try new breweries if you have to buy a new one at every brewery where you want a fill.

Anyway I said "Never mind" and walked out.

What do you folks think?

 

[TurnipGreen]

That drives me nuts too.
Most breweries used to fill anyone’s growler, too. Now most only fill their own growler. I’m sure there’s some dumb regulations on it. But it sure comes off as if these places are more interested in selling tee shirts an fancy growlers more than they are beer.

It’s a pet peeve of mine

 

[Smellyglove]

I don't know about the regulations if you have a growler which is up to code, so sounds like $$$

 

[Yooper]

I've had that happen in several states, and I was told it was due to labeling requirements. In one state I was in, they had logo stickers, with a blank line, and they just slapped that over the other label and wrote in "IPA" on the label.

I think some states are very stringent about this, and others not at all.

 

[Bryggeri]

At least in California you can legally fill another breweries growler, but you must obscure the other breweries info. But it cannot damage or permanently alter original logo or info. Then they must meet all labeling requirements, if unobstructed info is incorrect they are responsible. Then there is the dirty growlers, the Will taint their beer, or force them to replace at there cost. If it their own, it is marketing and customer retention, if it is another brewer’s it it sunk cost and unhappy customer at same time for rejecting their growler. Too much downside for breweries.

 

[PADave]

I've never heard of this, sounds like just a way to sell a growler.

 

[Upthewazzu]

In Maine, it's a state law. They can only fill growlers from the place that dispenses the beer.

Here in Washington, a brewery can fill just about anything they want.

 

[BaldApe]

I'm pretty nearly certain that in Maryland the only restriction is the required label must be there. In fact, one brewery I checked explicitly said they would like for you to buy their growler, but would put the required label on any growler.

And as a homebrewer, I always rinse the growler soon as it's emptied, and rinse with StarSan

 

[MaxStout]

Minnesota only requires the warning label. Beyond that, breweries are free to fill other growlers, or choose not to. At least OP's place would swap for free. Most places I've been to charge for their growlers on top of exchange.

 

[Velnerj]

I'm in the Czech Republic and this all sounds a bit silly to me. The bars here will fill up anything if you pay them for the beer. It's very common to bring in an empty plastic soda bottle for example (not that it's so good idea). You could probably get them to pour into your cupped hands if you paid them. Land of the free...really?

 

[MaxStout]

In MN, we've only been allowed growler fills and pints at taprooms for about the past 7 years (the so-called "Surly Bill"). And last year we finally got Sunday sales at liquor stores after running bills through the legislature the previous 5 years or so. We were a little late to the game, but it has allowed the craft brewing culture to explode here, and that's a good thing.

Of course, Minnesota is the state that brought us prohibition in the first place (Volstead was a congresscritter from Minnesota). However, in recent years, opposition to changing alcohol-related laws had been driven more by pressure from retailers' lobbies and trucking unions, and less by any sense of morality.

But, we're one of about a dozen remaining states that bans Sunday car sales from dealerships, so we still have that.

 

[triethylborane]

I'm in the Czech Republic and this all sounds a bit silly to me. The bars here will fill up anything if you pay them for the beer. It's very common to bring in an empty plastic soda bottle for example (not that it's so good idea). You could probably get them to pour into your cupped hands if you paid them. Land of the free...really?

Yeah, land of regulations and the political class.

 

[Barley_McAle]

There are too many politicians with nothing better to do than make up stupid rules and that's a perfect example of government overreach.

 

[triethylborane]

In MN, we've only been allowed growler fills and pints at taprooms for about the past 7 years (the so-called "Surly Bill"). And last year we finally got Sunday sales at liquor stores after running bills through the legislature the previous 5 years or so. We were a little late to the game, but it has allowed the craft brewing culture to explode here, and that's a good thing.

Of course, Minnesota is the state that brought us prohibition in the first place (Volstead was a congresscritter from Minnesota). However, in recent years, opposition to changing alcohol-related laws had been driven more by pressure from retailers' lobbies and trucking unions, and less by any sense of morality.

But, we're one of about a dozen remaining states that bans Sunday car sales from dealerships, so we still have that.

Colorado was another hot bed of the temperance movement and some blue laws. No liquor sales on sunday, 3.2 abw beer in grocery stores (still subject to sunday sales), no liquor sales in stores. Now a grocery store chain can hold a liquor license, but only one liquor license per corporation . . . lol retarded! Well, that was voted on and supposedly its working its way to actuality, but who knows. No car sales on sunday, dumb.

I know FL is working on repealing a cap on maximum volume sold by a licensee. Currently IIRC it is 32 oz. So no 40s but also this impacts growlers, which impacts craft beer etc. Dunno what the status of that is.

 

[triethylborane]

There are too many politicians with nothing better to do than make up stupid rules and that's a perfect example of government overreach.

And people that want to control other people. Temperance mvt leaders initially were not politicians but rapidly changed that so they could implement their controls.

 

[BaldApe]

In the county where I work, one of the council members was shown in the local paper contemplating a 64 Oz growler. She wondered if they might encourage alcoholism.
Mind you, you can buy a 30 pack of bud light, or a gallon of vodka, but a container equivalent to 5 1/2 bottles of beer "encourages alcoholism."?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Protecting the vendor, and perhaps consumers. Consumers from their own stupidity and vendors from litigation by stupid consumers and snarky lawyers.

There are too many politicians with nothing better to do than make up stupid rules and that's a perfect example of government overreach.

 

[madscientist451]

I'm in the Czech Republic and this all sounds a bit silly to me. The bars here will fill up anything if you pay them for the beer. It's very common to bring in an empty plastic soda bottle for example (not that it's so good idea). You could probably get them to pour into your cupped hands if you paid them. Land of the free...really?

Nope, not land of the free...more and more the land of tyranny....
But the citizens and taxpayers are used to it and won't complain too much.

 

[mongoose33]

Hi all,

A local gourmet-ish grocery store started filling growlers a while back, and I subscribed to their emails about what they had available. Mostly it's been things I consider a bit weird, so I didn't actually go there until yesterday. They had a Mild I really wanted to try.

I knew about the Maryland law that requires a label warning you that the stuff in the growler is beer (snark) and that it is the customer's responsibility to be sure the growler is clean (ya think?) so I selected a growler from a local brewery that had the required label.

I was told that they only fill their own growlers, and that they would exchange my growler for theirs at no charge.

That rubbed me the wrong way. Seems to me that it defeats the purpose of keeping a growler when you try new breweries if you have to buy a new one at every brewery where you want a fill.

Anyway I said "Never mind" and walked out.

What do you folks think?

I'm going to offer another view. If I had a craft brewery I might--might--want to ensure the quality of the container into which I was dispensing my brew. What if a customer's growler hadn't been cleaned properly, it caused off flavors in the beer, and now "X Brewery's Beer" is lousy, at least in the consumer's eyes.

They did offer to exchange growlers for no charge, so it wasn't like they were trying to soak you for a new growler.

I'm not saying this is what happened, or that a customer's growler would normally infect beer--who among us here would dispense craft beer into a dirty growler?--but I can see where someone might have had something happen like that and then have a rule against it.

Now, if your own growler represented sentimental memories, I can see you not wanting to part with it. I have a growler from a brewery I visited in China; I wouldn't give that one up.

 

[PADave]

I'm going to offer another view. If I had a craft brewery I might--might--want to ensure the quality of the container into which I was dispensing my brew. What if a customer's growler hadn't been cleaned properly, it caused off flavors in the beer, and now "X Brewery's Beer" is lousy, at least in the consumer's eyes.

But the second time you took that company's growler to be filled would be no different than taking any other one.

 

[MaxStout]

But the second time you took that company's growler to be filled would be no different than taking any other one.

I got a line of bs from a someone at a taproom person once, whose policies didn't allow a different brewery's growler. "With our growlers, we can control quality and cleanliness better."

As soon as I walk out the door with it, you can't.

Not filling other growlers is not a deal-breaker for me--I will certainly pony up for something I really like. Just be honest and say you prefer to sell your own growler for profits or "branding" or whatever.

(I always keep an empty growler in my trunk, in case I encounter a new brewery with a beer I like and want to bring some home. I suspect a few other craft beer people do that.)

 

[flars]

The "we don't want to risk filling a dirty growler" line may be legitimate if they give you one they cleaned in place of filling the one you brought in which has their logo and labeling intact.

Otherwise it is just a profit thing for the tap room.

 

[JimRausch]

Interesting. I don't do too many growler fills, but every time I have returned one, they take that to be cleaned and fill a new one. I'm OK with that. I would hope their growlers are clean and sanitized. I know mine are, but I'm not guaranteeing my neighbor's growler. I believe them when they say it's all about sanitation and providing the best quality.

 

[LostHopper]

State law here on filling only the brewery's growler. But our beer laws have been so backward for so long that just HAVING growlers is a plus.

 

[bleme]

Since they offered a free exchange of growlers (which has to be considered a loss for the grocery) I'd say that the policy is because it is easier to instruct all their employees to only fill their own growlers than it is to instruct them on what constitutes a legal label.

The U.S. has more lawyers per capita than any other country in the world and a recent survey showed that 55% of U.S. companies have faced 5 or more lawsuits in the last 12 months. I really can't blame the grocery for wanting to cover their butt.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

In Maine, it's a state law. They can only fill growlers from the place that dispenses the beer.

Here in Washington, a brewery can fill just about anything they want.

I'm in NYS and most of the local breweries will put beer in anything designed to hold beer.
have seen people roll in with wooden kegs, cornies, steel growlers ect.
Though I usually frequent the same breweries so i will buy a growler from them anyways.

Consumers has beer on tap and will fill any growler for me also.

 

[radwizard]

(I always keep an empty growler in my trunk, in case I encounter a new brewery with a beer I like and want to bring some home. I suspect a few other craft beer people do that.)

I'm ashamed at myself I never thought of that. I'm putting a growler in my trunk right now!

 

[soccerdad]

I'm not wedded to anyone's growler. If there was no cost to hand them mine and take theirs, I would do it. If I had to buy their growler plus buy their beer, I would probably walk.

 

[jpakstis]

In Massachusetts up until last year (if I remember correctly - it may have been 2016) you could only fill a growler from the brewery you got the growler, with that brewery's label on it. Now you can fill a non-labeled growler pursuant to a new regulation (or more accurately a "new" reading of an existing reg). You still can't fill another brewery's growler though. We're inching our way forward! Still no happy hours, though.

 

[jpakstis]

Whoops duplicate post!

 

[soccerdad]

No happy hours in Massachusetts.. that explains a lot

 

[Br3w4u]

I would say that the grocery store employee was just jealous of your cool brewery growler and he was trying to con you in to trading it for a lame grocery store growler. In Oklahoma grocery stores can only sell 3.2 beer and liquor stores can’t sell cold beer because they are afraid that someone will buy it and go drink it in their car. I would think the majority of people who would do that would just buy whiskey or cheap vodka and drink it warm or down a tall boy of cold nasty light.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I was surprised hear this the first time too. Here in Oregon they will fill your cupped hands or Big Gulp cup if you ask.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I'm in the Czech Republic and this all sounds a bit silly to me. The bars here will fill up anything if you pay them for the beer. It's very common to bring in an empty plastic soda bottle for example (not that it's so good idea). You could probably get them to pour into your cupped hands if you paid them. Land of the free...really?

Remember that the US in its early days was framed by fun-loving Prussians and religious puritans, so their legal system has always had a tendency to intervene in citizen's affairs and has always been particularly nuts when it comes to alcohol - don't forget this is a country that banned alcohol altogether within living memory.

People upthread need to pay attention - this isn't about $$$, they're not making the OP buy another growler.

I'm sure they can justify it in terms of hygiene or covering themselves on how staff interpret label rules, but the obvious reason is a marketing thing. They want a nice advert for their store permanently in your house, and for the name you see when you go to fill a growler is theirs.

Something similar used to happen with British supermarkets - they have a "bag-for-life" scheme where you paid the equivalent of US$0.14 for a sturdier carrier bag than the usual throwaway ones, on the basis that you could exchange it for a new one once it got tatty. It certainly used to be the case that they were happy to consider competitors' bags as part of their scheme on the grounds that it got them free advertising. I'm not sure if that's still the case, it may have fallen foul of new rules that have tightened up on the circumstances where they can hand out "free" plastic bags (as technically they are giving away a bag when the only cash involved has gone to their competitor).

 

[MaxStout]

Remember that the US in its early days was is still framed by fun-loving Prussians and religious puritans, so their legal system has always had a tendency to intervene in citizen's affairs and has always been particularly nuts when it comes to alcohol - don't forget this is a country that banned alcohol altogether within living memory.

ftfy

 

[_BullDog_]

I had a thread on this awhile back.... still haven't been to the brewery that wouldn't fill my growler.

 

[Steveruch]

If I had to buy a particular place's growler to get a really good beer I probably would.
Here in WA you can get a quart canning jar filled to go.

 

[myelo]

What do you folks think?

I think this is yet another problem that is solved by brewing my own.

 

[PADave]

I think this is yet another problem that is solved by brewing my own.

And filling any growler I want with my own.

 

[triethylborane]

Remember that the US in its early days was framed by fun-loving Prussians and religious puritans, so their legal system has always had a tendency to intervene in citizen's affairs and has always been particularly nuts when it comes to alcohol - don't forget this is a country that banned alcohol altogether within living memory.

While there was prohibition, there was also a time where you could drink and drive in many states - after prohibition.

I dont think any UKer can really thumb their nose at our legal system or how interventionist our courts are . . . lets not forget the origin of our common law legal system.