Why I hate CA growler laws

Discussion in 'Pacific' started by Arbitrator, Sep 3, 2012.

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  1. IceAce

    IceAce Pooh-Bah (2,220) Jan 8, 2004 California
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I'm with you...customers will say, "Oh, I cleaned it as soon as I finished it."

    Then, when you crack the seal, it goes....."Pffffffffffffffffftttttttt" :grimacing:
     
  2. elNopalero

    elNopalero Grand Pooh-Bah (4,568) Oct 14, 2009 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    After reading this forum I've added Ale Industries to my "visit when in the East Bay" list.

    After being frustrated by Texas' arcane beer laws I was looking forward to some California (beer drinking) liberalism! But the growler policy out here is just plain frustrating.

    If I wasn't so limited on space I would have growlers for Speakeasy, Lagunitas, Drakes, and Magnolia (because I like their design, I just wish their fills weren't so expensive) in addition to my Russian River flip-top. But it's just not worth it for places I'll visit every couple of months if I'm lucky.

    As for what do I do with my old growlers? I keep a half-gallon of drinking water in the car for emergencies. And I take the empties to get filled with homebrew whenever my friend has something ready.
     
  3. abecall98

    abecall98 Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2007 California
    Trader

    Imagine years down the road when everybody starts having growler collections and competitions. Empty growlers are the new "whalez".
     
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  4. RandomBattle

    RandomBattle Initiate (0) Jun 25, 2010 New York
    Trader

    While I'm guessing the answer is No, can you fill growlers at (select) bars or any place that does growler fills that isn't a brewery? And if so does the growler have to have the logo of said destination. Here in NY, bars (select bars), distributors, and breweries will fill up the growler regardless of logo, just an FYI there. I'm not from Cali so I don't know if you can only get growlers from the brewery or not, I'm guessing that it's a brewery only type deal
     
  5. 3rdto1st

    3rdto1st Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2011 California

    It can still make that noise if it had sanitizer in it, just sayin.
     
  6. DrAwkward82

    DrAwkward82 Initiate (0) Apr 16, 2005 California

    Breweries only here. I've enjoyed getting growler fills of whatever awesome stuff is on tap at beer bars like Blind Tiger Alehouse and Gingerman when I'm in NYC, but we're eons away from having that sort of option in CA.
     
  7. RandomBattle

    RandomBattle Initiate (0) Jun 25, 2010 New York
    Trader

    I think the brewery only factor may suck more then the growler laws lol...what a pain in the ass that is, I feel bad for you Cali BA's.
     
  8. rmdownward

    rmdownward Zealot (624) Feb 10, 2007 California

    I wonder if the ABC monitors this board & pays AE a little visit....
     
  9. westcoastbeerlvr

    westcoastbeerlvr Grand Pooh-Bah (3,751) Oct 19, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Thus far we've never actually seen this law enforced. I have no reason to believe that a brewery would actually lose its license if it did this--there's no precedence for such drastic consequences. Certainly Ale Industries hasn't.
     
  10. MisterClean

    MisterClean Initiate (0) Jan 11, 2008 California

    Working on round 2 with the growler laws. Going to try and approach this from another angle.

    Regarding growler cleaning, just use hot water. Sanitizer, iodophor like compounds specifically will break down the seal (screw top) of your growler. Tender at Great Basin was nice enough to inform me after my growler was just stankified.
     
    abecall98 likes this.
  11. PlinyTheYoungest

    PlinyTheYoungest Zealot (603) Jun 30, 2009 California

    I developed a new level of hatred for CA growler laws while visiting Birmingham, AL last week. I was able to fill up multiple liter swing-top growlers that my friend had of stuff like Founders Devil Dancer and Dirty Bastard, Bell's Two Hearted, and some local B'Ham beers from Good People and Cahaba. This was just at the good ol' package store aka liquor store. I never thought Alabama would be better than California for beer in any way, but it wins in growler laws. I suppose this along with the recent law change allowing beers over 6% abv there means craft beer in Alabama is on its way up.
     
  12. IceAce

    IceAce Pooh-Bah (2,220) Jan 8, 2004 California
    Pooh-Bah Society


    Yep...unless you try to homebrew. Then you get a shiny pair of silver bracelets.
     
  13. PlinyTheYoungest

    PlinyTheYoungest Zealot (603) Jun 30, 2009 California

    Really? Didn't know that. Good thing my buddy decided home brewing was not for him and quit after one batch.
     
  14. jamex

    jamex Initiate (0) Feb 13, 2010 California

    I was in Societe's brewery and saw some guys (out of towners) walk in and buy one of each of their growler fills for each beer they had. I believe they had 6 beers on tap. So they not only paid for 6 fills, but 6 growlers (@ $25 each). Total must have been over $200.

    La Jolla Brew House?
     
  15. PeterJ

    PeterJ Initiate (0) Dec 5, 2012 California

    Sorry for the necro post but I had a meeting with a district office manager and an investigator at the ABC today.

    Basically, the explained it would ok if a brewery filled a growler and affixed the corresponding beer label on the growler, with gov required warnings, etc.

    It is ILLEGAL for a bar to fill a growler unless that company was producing the beer though.

    So the Stone store in Pasadena can fill a blank growler with Stone IPA and put their label on it. Toronado cannot fill a growler at all. No exceptions, according to the ABC.
     
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  16. elNopalero

    elNopalero Grand Pooh-Bah (4,568) Oct 14, 2009 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I think this is encouraging--it makes me excited for the day when I can get any growlers filled at any brewery.

    What if a bar began brewing their own beer? Or contract brewing? Would that be sufficient to eek through a loophole? Random question on a long-dormant post!
     
  17. Earlycsquid

    Earlycsquid Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2013 California

    At this point breweries are so use to and enjoy the extra revenue and product placement that a growler with their logo shows, that I sort of doubt we'll see a brewery who has growlers allow anything but theirs citing the provisions of the law that favors their position of getting you to purchase their brand.
     
  18. sirtomtom

    sirtomtom Zealot (531) Dec 10, 2010 California

    I'd rather like to think at least Firestone will fill other growler if this newer interpretation of the law is passed on to them by the ABC. They at least aren't making obscene profits on their growlers(I'm charged $5.00 for glass when I visit, if I forget to bring my FW growler)
     
  19. PeterJ

    PeterJ Initiate (0) Dec 5, 2012 California

    If a bar brewed their own beer they could fill growlers with (only) their own beer.
     
    sirtomtom likes this.
  20. evilc

    evilc Initiate (0) Jan 27, 2012 California

    The root of that matter is CA sucks and is one of the least free States in the Union.

    I visited my Dad in Carson City over Christmas. Brought a Societe growler into a liquor store that also had some taps, and they filled it with Dogfish Head 90 Minute. So - CA labeled growler, in Nevada at a liquor store, filled with Delaware beer. OOOOOOoooOoOOOOo so many people were harmed by this action! F you CA.
     
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