growlerThere can be no mistaking that growlers have become a big thing in Alberta. What was at one time a quirky offering to loyal fans of local craft breweries has become a big time trend. Growler filling stations are popping up in liquor stores across the province, meaning the options have expanded greatly. Any beer sold in kegs is now a candidate for growlers.

And whenever there is a trend, I usually try to make it a subject of my columns. I did a CBC column a few weeks back on the growler trend, and now you can find pieces in Vue Weekly (read here) and on my Sherbrooke Liquor website Beer 101 column (read here). (While it is true that Sherbrooke will soon be installing its own growler filling station, my my decision to write about growleres in Beer 101 is unrelated – in fact I was unaware of the plans when I wrote the piece.)

The two columns, while broadly similar, actually take different approaches to the topic. The Vue piece is more an introduction to the practice, finishing off with some tips on how to keep the beer in its best condition. The Beer 101 article, on the other hand, explores the upsides and downsides of growlers. More specifically, it looks at the concerns about growlers as much as singing its praises.

Personally I am of two-minds about growlers. I completely appreciate their value in giving consumers access to fresh draught beer at home. I have been known to purchase one now and then myself – usually if I am having friends over or if I am going out of town to somewhere where good craft beer is in shorter supply (i.e., Fort McMurray).

beer101logoHowever, I think there is not enough awareness about the limits to growlers. The biggest is that they are NOT long term storage vessels. I note with some concern the appearance of filled growlers on liquor store shelves from (unnamed) breweries around the country. How old is that growler on that shelf? If it is more than a few days, I am very skeptical. I have seen people get two, three and even four growlers filled at the same time. Either they are having a party (which is fine), have a drinking problem (which is not fine), or they think that “stocking up” on growler beer is a good idea. Which it most certainly is not. If you are not planning on opening the growler within a few days, and then not planning on consuming the beer within a day or so once opened, you should not be choosing a growler in my opinion.

My other worry is cleanliness. I know keeping growlers clean is not that difficult – just requiring a regular routine of punctual attention. Still, most retailers and breweries have a buyer-beware policy around growlers. They will not sanitize for you, meaning a less than pristine sanitation procedure could lead to problems down the road.

I don’t want to be a Negative Nelly here; I trust most consumers are responsible enough to understand the short term nature of growlers and keep them clean. However, in all the talk of how cool growlers are, I think we need a little more attention to their limits and cautions. A growler is not a replacement for a six pack. It is merely to offer some of the experience of the pub in your own living room – which means consuming it fresh, with friends.