tired hands fill any Growler?

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic' started by crusian, Aug 26, 2013.

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  1. xnicknj

    xnicknj Initiate (0) May 25, 2009 Pennsylvania

    Here is a copy of a 2010 letter from the PLCB to East End regarding this issue: http://www.eastendbrewing.com/files/PLCB Opinion regarding Growlers 10-407.pdf

    While it states that growlers bought at breweries "can only be refilled by the original brewer from which the growler was procured," it also mentions that the rules are different for brewpubs - "If you were to acquire a brewpub license, then you would be able to refill all growlers presented."
     
    #21 xnicknj, Aug 26, 2013
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  2. shadowane

    shadowane Zealot (631) Sep 7, 2007 Pennsylvania

    Honestly hey probably do it because it's cheaper than getting fined by PLCB since you know it's legal rather than needing to wrangle with them over the language.
     
    #22 shadowane, Aug 26, 2013
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  3. BulletproofBA

    BulletproofBA Initiate (0) Jul 30, 2013 Chile


    At the end of the 1st page, leading into the second, it states "There are other requirements involved with a brew pub license that may not be appealing to you; however, if filling all growlers presented by customers is your goal, then it is your only option."

    I wonder what those other requirements are...and why someone feels that all of those conditions can't coexist under one roof. Why one or the other but not both? The PLCB sucks SO bad.
     
    #23 BulletproofBA, Aug 26, 2013
  4. phishphorce

    phishphorce Savant (1,023) Aug 4, 2011 Pennsylvania
    Trader

    Its 5 dollars. Buy a growler. It will make your pants tighter.
     
    #24 phishphorce, Aug 26, 2013
    deleted_user_680467, GeoffreyM, xnicknj and 1 other person like this.
  5. Ravenacht

    Ravenacht Pundit (916) Aug 10, 2012 Florida
    Trader

    Thanks
     
    #25 Ravenacht, Aug 26, 2013
  6. SPRichard

    SPRichard Maven (1,296) Apr 26, 2008 New Jersey
    Trader

    These are currently on tap right now

    http://www.tiredhands.com/

    My favorites that are currently on are

    SuchUnique
    Mt. Sharp
    Singel Hop Saison, Pacifica
    Tabel, Sacred
     
    #26 SPRichard, Aug 26, 2013
  7. Ravenacht

    Ravenacht Pundit (916) Aug 10, 2012 Florida
    Trader

    Damn, I will be at Monks on Thursday when I fly in. Would love to make Zwanze day there (made the Orlando FL Zwanze day) I am sure it will madness at Monks, but epic all the same.
     
    #27 Ravenacht, Aug 26, 2013
  8. BulletproofBA

    BulletproofBA Initiate (0) Jul 30, 2013 Chile


    Mt. Sharp was very nice, as was the Tabel Sacred.

    The single hop saison, is however, citra. I thought it was pretty nice. Need to get back in for the SuchUnique. Thursday, maybe.
     
    #28 BulletproofBA, Aug 26, 2013
  9. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    Sigh.... it's times like this that I miss Lew Bryson's participation on this site, and his ability to eloquently address issues such as this. Anyway...

    This topic has come up before, and IMHO, it's completely understandable that there remains confusion in this area. From past discussions on this site, I think the reality is that no one knows what the law is regarding a brewery's ability to fill foreign growlers. The pertient statute states the following:

    "If beer is sold dierectly from a brewery, it must be sold in case quantities, or in single orginal containers of 64 ounces or more."

    So you tell me... what part of that statement suggests to you that a brewery is only allowed to fill growlers that happen to have it's name on it? Even if you do interpret the language in the statute to require such, what part of that language suggests to you that ripping off an old label and putting on a new one will suddenly, magically, transform it in a "single orginal container?" In my opinion, the fact that some PLCB apparatchik suggested this might be a viable fix (I'm assuming that's where Tired Hands got the idea), really tells you just how moronic they are over at the PLCB.

    The response East End received back in 2010 was simply the PLCB's interpretation of the statute. Based on past experience with the PLCB's legal acumen, I'm not sure I'd trust them to correctly interpret a comic book. Back in 2007 or 2008, I remember thiis issue came up because Iron Hill was refusing to fill any growler other than their own. Their policy met with considerable anger, because at least at the time, IH was using those expensive, 2 liter size, swing top growlers, and understandably, customers didn't want to have buy an IH growler every time they happened to stop by for a fill (and either didn't own or didn't happen to have an IH growler). IH's position was that they weren't sure what the law was, only what a particular PLCB pinhead had told them was his/her interpretation of the law. On the other hand, they made it very clear what it would take to challenge that opinion, and that they felt it was easier and cheaper to capitulate, rather than to try to challenge the PLCB in court over the matter. IMHO, their position was practical and completely understandable. To the best of my knowledge, that's still where we stand today. Cheers!
     
    #29 John_M, Aug 26, 2013
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  10. SPRichard

    SPRichard Maven (1,296) Apr 26, 2008 New Jersey
    Trader

    Citra and Pacifica Saisons were both on yesterday when I was there
     
    #30 SPRichard, Aug 26, 2013
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  11. BulletproofBA

    BulletproofBA Initiate (0) Jul 30, 2013 Chile

    Nice. Wonder where that came from. Wasn't on their "Up Next" list, nor did they post anything about it coming on. Any idea what it replaced?
     
    #31 BulletproofBA, Aug 26, 2013
  12. SPRichard

    SPRichard Maven (1,296) Apr 26, 2008 New Jersey
    Trader

    No idea. It has been on before recently. Maybe the end of the keg from that last tapping

    I didn't have any yesterday since there were so many new ones on that I hadn't tried yet
     
    #32 SPRichard, Aug 26, 2013
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  13. nfo

    nfo Initiate (0) Jun 4, 2005 Pennsylvania

    HappyHands and Pleasant are gone. Wanted to try those, and missed both, sadly.
     
    #33 nfo, Aug 27, 2013
  14. rondufresne

    rondufresne Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Pennsylvania

    The fact that there are repeated threads about whether ____ brewery in PA will fill different growlers illustrates how inept the PLCB is at their role of "controlling" alcohol in the state. There are different rules for manufacturers and for brewpubs, and the recent changes made by Act 113 (of 2011)--ostensibly to clarify the code--are no clearer.

    If you're looking for language in the law that says brewpubs can fill any container presented, it's in there. Yet there is also other language pertaining to manufacturers that muddles the picture more. So if you have both a brewpub license AND a manufacturers license (like Tired Hands), whatcha gonna do?

    It seems like brewpubs tend to do what Tired Hands does--filling their own labeled growlers--out of an abundance of caution. It's all risk management nowadays, and why would they assume any risk if customers are willing to spend a small amount ($5) and erase the risk completely?

    Given the growth of growler sales in the state, I don't understand why the PLCB doesn't just do its job better and state very clearly and very publicly how they enforce the law. Then we could go back to our business of discussing the good stuff TH has on tap.
     
    #34 rondufresne, Aug 27, 2013
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  15. victory4me

    victory4me Initiate (0) Oct 16, 2004 Pennsylvania

    Last I heard is that Tired Hands is in the business of turning away customers. They love it when people show up to buy beer, just to shun them because they have a growler from another brewery. This makes them soooo hard.

    Actually, for legal purposes they were told to only fill their own growlers, or generic growlers.

    Choose what you want to believe.
     
    #35 victory4me, Aug 27, 2013
  16. NYCBUCKEYE

    NYCBUCKEYE Initiate (0) Jan 21, 2013 New York

    Pizza boy does a growler exchange where they will take a growler from any brewery and replace it with a pizza boy growler. Maybe tired hands could institute a similar program to alleviate some of these issues and questions.
     
    #36 NYCBUCKEYE, Aug 27, 2013
  17. shadowane

    shadowane Zealot (631) Sep 7, 2007 Pennsylvania

    Not sure what Al does with those extra growlers, but Pizza Boy is way bigger than Tired Hands. Not sure if there is a basement storage at Pizza Boy, too, but the extra space helps.
     
    #37 shadowane, Aug 27, 2013
  18. ClockworkOrange

    ClockworkOrange Pooh-Bah (2,190) Feb 19, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    IIRC, they only do that with the 1L swingtops and exchange them for their wide (er) mouthed medicine bottle 1L's.
     
    #38 ClockworkOrange, Aug 27, 2013
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  19. RonfromJersey

    RonfromJersey Initiate (0) Jan 25, 2002 New Jersey
    In Memoriam

    Is this a new policy at Pizza Boy? I went to the old place several times and they filled whatever growler I bought?

    And is Pizza Boy still using clear glass?
     
    #39 RonfromJersey, Aug 27, 2013
  20. crusian

    crusian Pooh-Bah (1,989) May 14, 2010 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    I have a brown pizza boy medicine bottle. those always leak on me though, the swing tops are much better.
     
    #40 crusian, Aug 27, 2013
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