Poll: What's your current Crowler situation?

crowlers are just 32oz cans once you pop the top it's open. if you have seen the big Asahi cans imagine that but the store/brewery that fills the can also has a machine to press the lid on

crowlers are one time use

 

Voted Other because I haven't seen any Crowlers, but I really only buy beer from bottle shops. I don't really go out of my way for Crowlers or Growlers. If it's the only method to take an out-of-state beer home, then I will pick up a growler/crowler, but otherwise, nah.

 

Just grabbed 2 War Elephants at lunch. They stay almost as fresh as brewery fills when filled properly(cO2). Love them!

 

Only 2 breweries in town have them, Deschutes at their production brewery and Boneyard at their original brewery/tasting room, but 2 growler fill stations also have them so my options for beers in a Crowler are pretty fantastic.

The combination of relatively inexpensive cost of entry, small space taken up at the bar/retail area, and quick/ease of fill makes me think almost every beer establishment should look into getting one.

I can't remember the last time I planned for a growler fill, remembering to put the 64oz glass in my car, making sure I had a schedule that accommodated finishing 64oz before it went flat, and was a beer I wanted 4 pints of. I can be more spontaneous and have a wider selection of beers I'd consider since I only have to commit to 2 pints instead of 4. Bonus: for limited releases, a 32oz Crowler is often cheaper than a 22oz of the same beer.

As a primarily at-home drinker, Crowlers have totally changed how often I get a draft fill, which means more money for the businesses who have them.

 

Missing an important option:

"I have access to crowlers and get them occasionally"

A couple local breweries here have added them, but most importantly a local bar that usually has the best taplists added it.

To help with the research... Much prefer a crowler, and i already have 5 or 6 glass growlers. I NEVER remember them and the fill prices are usually a bit ridiculous. Such a bad value. Enter the Crowler. I don't need to remember anything. It is more portable, less breakable, smaller, perfect.

My foreseeable future... If I am traveling? Bam. Camping? BAM. Going to hang out with a few people. BAM. I buy beer when I go on business trips. I do NOT want to bring my own empty growlers with me. I do NOT want to have to buy new ones for $5+, and I do not want to carry them around.

(just an example here) The bar here had Stone 24 carrot on tap. When it was available in bottles, I remember it being $8.50 for 22oz. The bar had a crowler of it for $10. Perfect.

 

A few smaller breweries opted for crowlers here in the Chicago area:
DryHop Brewers
Corridor Brewery and Provisions
BreakRoom Brewery
Imperial Oak Brewing
Noon Whistle Brewing

I wish more places offered it, holds longer than a growler in my opinion. Hopeful that some of the bigger breweries in the area will adopt it. But these 5 places do offer some pretty solid stuff!

 

Do you want to swap crowlers, I would love to try some Boneyard!

 

Sorry, not much of a trader, but that's another point in a Crowler's favor: less shipping weight and less prone to breakage make them better for shipping/trading. 32oz is also a better size than 22oz for bottle shares with more than 4 or 5 people.

 

No problem at all. I agree, crowlers are way better for sharing with a group

 

Brash Brewing in Houston is big into crowlers, maybe the only brewery in Houston to offer them, but I have experienced and heard from others that the crowlers they offer are often not properly sealed.

 

I know of only 2 breweries around me that offer it, its ok.

 

Agreed. That is exactly my situation.

 

I got a recent release in a crowler and the can was fine except a little sloppier to pour. I probably won't get too many of them in the future because it is just too much to drink at one time for most beers and I feel like I'm forced to drink 32oz at once no matter what my mood is. My go to growler is a 32oz. one and that is fine because I can reseal it with minimal loss of quality.

 

What this guy said. Love me some crowlers.

Not totally related, but I think DryHop here in Chicago kills it with their crowler labels:



The reflective green in the logo is killer.


So I guess that's another thing I prefer about crowlers; they usually look cooler than growlers. And since I can recycle them, I don't get hit by my girlfriend for cluttering the house with more beer-related glassware.

 

My problem with Crowlers is the cost. Since you can only use them once and you get charged, let's say $2, it isn't worth it for me since I rarely go anywhere I can't take a 12 or 16 oz. can. If the additional charge is under $1, it's worth considering if you want to carry fewer cans.

 

Victory just started doing crowlers. I like it because it has a little longer shelf life that my growler. The down side is that once opened, that's it. Drink up.

 

I've been clamoring for these for a while. One of my least favorite breweries in the area offers them, and they just built a Crowler station in the store side of their brewery to sell guest taps. The price here is pretty economical.

 

I know a few places that fill Crowlers but haven't felt the need to buy one yet.

 

The food at DryHop is incredible, Burnt Hickory na Creature Comforts have crowler machines and love when I can get fills.....We have backward beer laws

 

We use the Crowler machine at our brewery in Indy and we love it. In Indiana there are now 5-6 breweries using the Crowler. Only a brewery can do a fill (Growler/Crowler) given state regulations so not going to see them in a bar/grocery/fill station store anytime soon. The Crowler provides another option for guests in addition to our 16oz cans and doing a Growler fill. We do a lot of education with guests that it is not that one is better than the other but each has it's place and having the three options means more flexibility. Growlers are great for same day drinking or more than one person, Crowlers have longer shelf life since they are CO2 purged before filling and sealed and being only 32 oz they can be shared or not, and for longer shelf life the 16oz can off the professional canning line.