Are you curious about beer growlers or planning to invest in one to keep your beer fresh?
Either way, you’re here looking for growler definitions and sizes.
Don’t worry; stick around, as this article tells you about growlers and the sizes available.
Beer Growlers
So, what exactly is a beer growler?
A beer growler is a unique container transporting draft beer or drinks like cold-brew coffee and wine.
Even though the container’s history is unclear, the word “growler” is said to come from the sound the bottle makes when carbon dioxide from the beer inside escapes.
Due to the increase of artisan brewing in the US, beer growlers are becoming increasingly popular.
Many beer brewing companies have introduced growler refill programs, in which consumers can return clean growlers for guaranteed refills at a discounted price.
They’re perfect for bringing beer home or to a party if it’s not in bottles or cans.
Unless it’s from a hand pump or nitro, you may fill, consume, and refill a growler with any beer, from ale to stout.
Unopened beer growlers can be refrigerated for a week, although they’re best within the first few days.
Once it’s opened, you’ll want to gulp it down so the bubbles don’t disappear.
Filling a couple of growlers and bringing them to a group dinner is a terrific way to expose folks to different types of beer.
You can also buy beer in a growler you can’t get close to home and bring it back to drink whenever you want.
There are almost too many options!
Growlers are the best way to reduce your carbon footprint because you can use the same container repeatedly.
If you carry a growler in your car, you won’t have to worry about recycling or trash day noise.
It also takes time, effort, and resources to produce new containers.
Everyone knows that the more you can use something, the better it is for everyone.
Growler Materials
Stainless steel growlers are becoming more popular since they are sturdy and portable and keep beer fresher for longer.
Ceramic growlers are also available, but their strength and expense make them a niche promotional product.
Growler and Crowler Differences
You’ve probably heard about beer crowlers too.
A crowler, just like a growler, keeps beer fresh from the time the bartender fills it until you drink it.
But crowlers and growlers are not the same in several ways.
First, the growler comes in 32-ounce and 64-ounce sizes, while the crowler only comes in 32-ounce.
But this isn’t a problem if you don’t mind using both hands.
Crowlers are also made of aluminum instead of glass.
This is important in more than one way.
For one thing, crowlers make it easier to ship growlers than before.
Small craft breweries and people who make their beer at home often want to trade beers and send them in the mail.
Also, if you want a friend to try your favorite beer, you may have to ship it, especially if it’s from a small, independent local brewery.
You can send growlers through the mail, but many say the mail is primarily flat by the time the beer arrives.
Growlers need to be cleaned often, just like any other glass.
If you don’t, foamy residue will build up, and your craft beer won’t taste as good as you’d like.
The Glass Jug Beer Lab says you should follow a few rules to keep your growler in good shape.
- Bacteria can grow in a dirty growler, so keep it cold until you can clean it.
- Rinse your growler with hot water three times to ensure it is clean.
- Turn your growler upside down to dry it so that water doesn’t stay inside and cause bacteria to grow.
- Leave the lid off so the air in your growler doesn’t get stuck.
- Unlike the growler, the crowler is only meant to be used once. After you’ve finished drinking from the 32-ounce container, you can rinse it and reuse it.
This is very helpful for people who don’t want to worry about keeping their containers clean whenever they go to their favorite place.
Dive into the distinctions between Crowlers and Growlers in this informative article.
Growler Sizes
Even though 64 oz growlers (1/2 gallon) are the most common, you can also get beer growlers in the following sizes:
- 32 oz (1/4 gallon)
- 128 oz (1 gallon) (1 gallon)
- This growler size is 1 liter (33.8 oz.) and usually comes with a – often called “Grolsch-style” – and does not have handles.
- Two liters (67.6 oz): This size growler usually has a flip-top lid and can have a glass or metal handle.
Delve into the essential guide to beer keg sizes for large-scale brewers.
Amber and Clear Beer Growlers
Amber (a brownish color) and clear (also called “flint”) are the two most popular colors for beer growlers.
Clear growlers usually cost between 25 and 35% less than amber ones.
Dark amber glass protects against UV (CIV) rays, which damage liquids and give them a terrible smell and flavor.
Other colors of beer growlers, such as green and cobalt blue, are challenging to locate and built to order.
Growler Lids
Most beer growlers have a screw-cap or a flip-top, also called a “swing-top.”
Even though screw-cap growlers are more common and less expensive than flip-top growlers, many brewers find the “classic” look more appealing.
Also, printing on flip-top growlers is usually more complicated than printing on screw-cap growlers.
The caps themselves can be made out of either plastic or metal.
Metal caps are a little more common than plastic caps, probably because plastic caps cost a little more.
Most brewers use plastic caps because they are easy to use and keep the beer fresh.
How Growler Closures Work
There isn’t much difference between screw-caps and flip-tops regarding how they work.
Even though flip-top growlers are tougher to print on, breweries prefer their “classic” look versus screw-cap growlers.
No matter what kind of lid you choose, you should clean bath flip-top end screw-cap growlers between fill-ups.
Assuming that’s done, your beer should stay just as fresh with either type of cap.
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Final Thoughts
Growlers are nice to have if you want to keep your beer fresh.
It’s a good investment for bars and those planning to host parties.
Find the suitable growler sizes for you, and enjoy!