Vermont Breweries Growler Policies

Discussion in 'New England' started by polarbear14, Jul 19, 2013.

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  1. polarbear14

    polarbear14 Initiate (0) May 11, 2012 Vermont

    I posted the question below about growler filling on VPR's Vermont Edition page yesterday for their program on Vermont Beer and Jim (VTBeer) kindly responded. It's a minor, minor issues in the scheme of things, but I'm curious what other's experiences have been getting breweries to fill growlers from elsewhere.

    While the law may allow it, Hill Farmstead is the only place I've seen it happen and have been told by staff at Otter Creek, Fiddlehead and Magic Hat that they only fill their own growlers. If I were in their shoes I wouldn't want to put my beer in another brewery's growler so I completely understand.

    Hence my interest in seeing an umbrella group like VT Brewer's Assoc. facilitate a growler that breweries could elect to have available (in addition to their own branded growlers) that would be accepted by any participating brewery. Charge a few bucks more for it and allow the brewery to keep that as an incentive for participating.

    Polarbear14: Like many other devotees of Vermont beer, I have developed a significant collection of empty growlers that sit patiently waiting for me to return to a specific brewery to refill them. Any chance the VT Brewers Association could facilitate the creation of a common growler that all brewers that accept them would fill? I'm sure the lonely bottles in my garage would love to return to their original homes.


    • [​IMG]
      Vermont brewers (on site) can fill any growler (even out of state growlers) that meet the brewer's requirements (usually must be dark colored, glass, etc.). The brewer still has a right to refuse growlers based on quality and cleanliness. Off site growler fills (for example, at VT liquor stores) have different requirements and VT law requires stickers/labels and other requirements. I just talked with DLC to clarify and I'll be writing an exhaustive blog post regarding VT's growler laws soon.
     
    #1 polarbear14, Jul 19, 2013
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  2. emannths

    emannths Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2007 Massachusetts

    If I were in their shoes I wouldn't want to make my customers pay for unnecessary glassware just to feed my ego, so I am less understanding. :-/ BAs complain about the BMC marketing budgets, but don't bat an eye at "no outside growlers," which effectively adds a 20-30% marketing surcharge.
     
    #2 emannths, Jul 19, 2013
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  3. jamesewelch

    jamesewelch Initiate (0) May 11, 2012 Vermont

    Let me know if there's any questions or problems, I talked with the DLC chief about growlers and I'm doing a site visit for off-site growler fills soon to do some Q&A with the shop concerning what they are allowed/not allowed to do for off-premise growler fills.

    EDIT:
    Here's what the DLC chief said "Brewers, on the other hand, are not limited to the size or label restrictions that off premise accounts are. There is nothing in law or regulation that addresses the issues you raise. It is pretty much up to the Brewer to decide if he wants to fill another brewers container."

    The DLC chief also agreed that there was some confusion concerning VT growlers. I plan on doing a full write up and quotes, pictures, etc. with the law verbiage, etc. Probably won't happen until August at earliest.
     
    #3 jamesewelch, Jul 19, 2013
  4. vonnegut21

    vonnegut21 Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2012 New York

    If I were Magic Hat, I'd be thanking God that someone wanted a growler of my beer when there are countless better options available nearby, not being a stickler for using Magic Hat branded growlers
     
    #4 vonnegut21, Jul 19, 2013
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  5. brownswisscow

    brownswisscow Crusader (476) Feb 9, 2012 Vermont

    not sure who you talked to at Fiddlehead, but they will definitely fill any regular 64oz growler (unless something changed recently).
     
    #5 brownswisscow, Jul 19, 2013
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  6. jamvt

    jamvt Savant (1,150) Aug 5, 2005 Massachusetts
    Trader

    It would help if you stated whether or not the breweries you listed charge a deposit on a growler or if it is a one time purchase. If you can return it for a deposit, who cares?
     
    #6 jamvt, Jul 19, 2013
  7. polarbear14

    polarbear14 Initiate (0) May 11, 2012 Vermont

    Not sure that there's a brewery filling growlers that doesn't charge a deposit. Most are $3, Hill Farmstead charges $10 for a larger 2 Liter bottle. You're correct that the growler still has value, but I don't think most folks are in the habit of going to the brewery just to return the bottle for the deposit. Perhaps I'm an outlier as I'm on the road a lot, but I'd probably keep one in the trunk of my car for the times I'm able to make an unexpected stop in Middlebury, St. Albans or wherever. That'd be more convenient that the 20+ bottles I've collected that sit empty until I know I'm making a trip to 14th Star, Drop-In or Otter Creek.

    @Brownswisscow, don't remember who it was. I want to say I asked not long after they opened. Thanks for the tip that they'll fill other bottles.
     
    #7 polarbear14, Jul 19, 2013
  8. schteve

    schteve Pundit (884) Sep 10, 2003 New Jersey

    It's going back a couple of years now, but Otter Creek filled my outside growler without any problems. Policy could've changed or they could've been sympathetic to a tourist, but I don't think it was a problem.
     
    #8 schteve, Jul 19, 2013
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  9. AaronF

    AaronF Initiate (0) Jun 23, 2012 Connecticut

    Fiddlehead filled my 64oz growlers from out of state today without issue.
     
    #9 AaronF, Jul 20, 2013
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  10. jamvt

    jamvt Savant (1,150) Aug 5, 2005 Massachusetts
    Trader

    HF growlers are a purchase rather than a deposit and as stated, they'll fill anyone's growlers as long as they meet their loose restrictions.
     
    #10 jamvt, Jul 22, 2013
  11. jamesewelch

    jamesewelch Initiate (0) May 11, 2012 Vermont

    #11 jamesewelch, Jul 26, 2013
  12. KingdomBobcat

    KingdomBobcat Initiate (0) May 2, 2013 Vermont

    The only brewery that I have encountered to have a problem filling a growler that was not their own is Zero Gravity. Some places will not accept the flip top style growlers like Hill Farmstead's because they will not fit under their taps. Maybe this was the case with the HFB growler I brought to Zero Grav, but I've only brought them Zero Grav growlers since. Fiddlehead, Rock Art, Kingdom, Hill, Citizen Cider, you name it. I've never had any troubles with people filling growlers that are not their own. As they put it, "we make the money from the beer, not the glass"
     
    #12 KingdomBobcat, Nov 13, 2013
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  13. youbrewidrink

    youbrewidrink Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 Vermont

    Have you ever been to Magic Hat on a weekend?

    The parking lot is packed from open to close with out of state cars getting growler fills. We may all joke about Magic Hat and our opinnion of their beer, but they fill a serious amount of growlers.
     
    #13 youbrewidrink, Nov 13, 2013
  14. brownswisscow

    brownswisscow Crusader (476) Feb 9, 2012 Vermont

    Zero Grav will only fill their growlers.
     
    #14 brownswisscow, Nov 13, 2013
  15. duchessedubourg

    duchessedubourg Savant (1,181) Nov 2, 2007 Vermont

    Have an old "Genie Bottle" growler from Davidson Bros - they refused to refill it as they changed their tap set-up so they no longer fit underneath as stated. Since it is exactly the same as HFB's, they are happy to fill it - but wish I had a sticker to put over the etched logo of the brewery I never patronize anymore...
     
    #15 duchessedubourg, Nov 13, 2013
  16. Flashy

    Flashy Pooh-Bah (1,767) Oct 22, 2003 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    I am not getting involved in this one.
     
    #16 Flashy, Nov 14, 2013
  17. Electros

    Electros Grand Pooh-Bah (3,998) Feb 20, 2007 Canada (ON)
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I have been to Hill Farmstead, and Magic Hat in summer 2012, and they happily filled my growlers. I actually filled about 5 or 6 at Magic Hat. Is this a recent experience?
     
    #17 Electros, Nov 14, 2013
  18. Janeinma

    Janeinma Initiate (0) May 24, 2009 Massachusetts

    Lost nation filled another growler for us last week, (Jacks Abby) they said they needed a license for that but were happy to do it.
     
    #18 Janeinma, Nov 14, 2013
  19. skivtjerry

    skivtjerry Pooh-Bah (1,865) Mar 10, 2006 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    This was the situation in Utah when I lived there - breweries would fill any growler but insisted on slapping one of their stickers on it. I lived a 15 minute walk from the old Uinta brewery site, thus didn't collect as many stickers as most beer people I knew.
     
    #19 skivtjerry, Nov 15, 2013
  20. mikey451

    mikey451 Crusader (481) Mar 11, 2003 Utah

    Strange, I've been filling growlers at Utah breweries since the early nineties and have never had anyone give me grief for bringing in another breweries bottle.
     
    #20 mikey451, Nov 19, 2013
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