CT Growler Fills

I saw Eli's in Middletown will NOT be participating in this new law. That is LAME.

 

I doubt many will right off the bat, or even eventually. Packies open till 10 now though, bet they're excited about that.

 

Why is that lame? A business made a decision that they feel is in their own best interest. They probably determined they would make more margin to see the beer for on site consumption and didn't want to invest in the hardware (growlers, caps, etc) that would be needed.

Would I like more businesses do this, yes, but based on my experiences in bars and restaurants in New York, I don't see a lot of people running out with growlers. So not sure there is a huge demand for this.

Package stores on the other hand....

 

The laws might have changed, but most stores will not be staying open later. The law is primarily for grocery stores who will be open anyway. This way, they don't have to put the curtain over the beer. Most package stores know that it's dangerous to stay open that late. Heck, we close at 8pm because we're just so slow after 7.

Think about it: It's 9:55pm and it's just the closing workers there (2-3 people max) by themselves, since there won't be a steady stream of customers coming in after 9. Perfect opportunity for some masked men to come in and sack the place. That's why the 8pm law went into effect.

They've already taken our holidays away. Independence Day used to be a holiday for us until Malloy took it away. Now we get to sacrifice all that sweet backyard BBQ goodness so people can grab their Bud Light suitcases and nips of root beer vodka on the actual holiday. People can plan ahead if you force them to.

Edit: And I don't see the draw of having restaurants do growler fills. There are some breweries in CT that don't know how to properly fill a growler. I doubt most restaurants will participate/know how to do it properly. You want to pay an exorbitant price to have a growler improperly filled? Have fun with that.

 

a server at WilliBrew said they were probably going to do fills of their 30+ guest beers. Maybe not right off the bat but theyre looking at it. No info on pricing, etc.

I agree that the longer hours for package stores are generally not good (for reasons mentioned^). Additionally, they just amount to lower wages for the small guys who decide they should stay open. While a good first (mis)step, I think the law missed the mark overall. The real win would've been to allow bars AND package stores do growler fills.

 

But what's the draw to having a bar fill growlers? The only beers on this list that aren't available at the package store are BBC's Nitro beer and that Hartford Better Beer offering. I get filling growlers with their own beer. They're a brewery!

You don't know how old the kegs are at the bar/restaurant (vs checking bottle/can dates), and I certainly doubt anyone would be doing fills of G-Bot, Sip of Sunshine, or beers of that nature since there's money to be made on selling them by the glass. I just don't understand why someone would want a growler fill of something that's also available in 6pks.

And yeah, we don't open on Sundays because it just spreads business around instead of generating more. Depending on how holidays fall, we'll open on the occasional Sunday, but like I said, it's mostly people who opted not to stock up on Saturday (i.e. alcoholics with low self-control).

 

I'm confused. You are not happy with liquor stores being able to open later? why?

 

Because there's the societal expectation that everything today is 24/7, 365 days a year and this plays into that. People who run stores have families and lives beyond selling products, and it's especially poignant when it comes to alcohol, a luxury item. Plan ahead.

I love my job. I don't have a problem staying until 8pm, and I doubt stores will stay open until 10pm, but the introduction Sunday sales was kind of insulting. To a store that's struggling to stay afloat, they're basically forced to work 7 days a week selling alcohol. Not medicine, not food, not water. Alcohol.

 

this. it's not hard

 

I'm pretty sure that you do not want to fill a growler with a nitro pour.

 

Which would still be a better deal than getting a growler filled.

At the very least, it would be $16 for 66oz vs $16+ for a 64oz growler fill, and that's a conservative estimate. Most likey you'd have to factor in a few more $$ since it's being poured at an on-premise location.

Plus, having three bombers, there's no time frame as-to when they need to be consumed.

 

A few bars in Fairfield Co are doing it. The Walrus and Carpenter in Fairfield and The Cask Republics and Ginger Man's. I talked to the bartender at GM in Norwalk and, while they are closing for renovations for a month, he said they are putting in a growler station separate from the bar. I believe he suggested that all 50 taps would be open for fills. No word on prices, but the selection is huge. Also no word on weather they will have growlers for sale.