So, what the heck is a growler?

The direct answer is that a growler is a half gallon glass container with a screw-top cap that we fill with Barley's ale so that you can enjoy it when you're not here. (For you tech geeks, call it Barley'sMobile.)

Simply ask your server or barkeep for a growler of your favorite Barley's ale, and it will be filled in a jiffy. Now you're ready for your party, game on TV or holiday get-together. It's that simple.

Can I refill the growler when I'm done with it?

Yep. You pay a one time modest cost for the container (sold at our cost) and it's yours forever, unless you drop it, of course! Every time you stop in after your initial fill, you only pay for the contents.

Unfortunately, once you purchase the growler, it's yours. We do not repurchase your growlers, full or empty.

Can I buy any of your beers to go in my growler?

Almost. Some of our beers are not condusive to growler fills, and we reserve the right to not fill with those. Sometimes we offer an extremely limited version of a beer, and we reserve the right to offer that ale only to our dine-in guests. Other than that, it's your pleasure (as well as ours.)

Will you fill another brewpub's growler with your beer?

Alas, we won't. There are two reasons. First, it is technically illegal. We would be putting a beer in a growler that isn't correctly labeled. That is a violation of State and Federal law.

The other (main) reason is we wouldn't want another establishment to get credit for our products. We take care in creating our craft beer and dispensing it into someone else's container just doesn't sit well with us. You may know what's in it, but when you take it to a party, others won't. We'll take credit for our beer and let other establishments take credit for theirs.

How long does the beer in a growler last?

Well, how fast will you drink it? If you mean how long will it last if you don't drink it...

First, be sure to refrigerate it as soon as you get it. Our ales are unpasteurized, and heat is the enemy. Assuming you properly refrigerate it, your beer will easily last a week. It is not unheard of for the beer to still taste fresh even after a month. Just don't push your luck.

As soon as you open it, though, your time is limited. Not because it will not taste fresh, but because it will go flat, just as when you open a bottle of beer. We recommend that once you open your growler, you empty it in one session.

If you weren't able to pull off that feat, though, all's not lost. Refrigerate the remaining contents until you're ready for it again, preferably the next day. We've found that you can pour about three quarters of your pint glass full with the now flat beer, and top it off with some "neutral" beer out of a bottle. This helps with the carbonation, and will get you through your crisis.

The other thing you can do with your flat beer is cook with it. A pot of chili spiked with Barley's ale makes a mighty fine meal. Here's a recipe for you to try.

When did you start selling growlers?

When we opened in 1992 at our downtown location, we never heard of growlers. Shortly after, a member of the Boston Pops Orchestra stopped in for a pint or two after a performance at the Ohio Theater. He was so taken with our ales, he wanted to take some home with him.

When told we couldn't accommodate him, he would not take no for an answer. Exasperated, we searched for anything we could put some beer in. The only thing we had was a gallon jug of Tabasco sauce. We emptied the contents, gave the vessel a good cleaning, and filled it with Barley's real ale. He told us he'd carefully put it in the overhead compartment. He left happy, and we were left with a homework assignment.

How the heck are we going to do this again?

We found a wholesaler who sold apple cider jugs and caps. We sourced a small silk screen company near Canal Winchester to screen the art onto the soon-to-be-growlers. In short time, we were in the growler business.

Today, we sell thousands of growlers each year. We've had perhaps a half dozen different designs on the growlers, and we still see some of the original designs coming throught the door for refills. Careful when you walk in with one of those original designs, though--you're showing your age. Our growler program is over fifteen years old!

This extremely rare growler was made specifically for Barley's
first Afternoon with the Brewers in the mid-1990s.
One was gifted to every brewer in Columbus at the time.

What's the history of growlers?

Today nearly every brewpub is happy to sell you a growler.

Over one hundred years ago, though, a growler was a pail with a lid on it. People hauled it from the pub to home to enjoy fresh beer at their leisure or at work (yes, on the job beer drinking preceded the two martini lunch.)  

This early growler was obviously meant for immediate consumption.

Perhaps it growled when the carbon dioxide escaped; maybe it was the rumble from the workman's hungry stomach at lunch just before the container was opened.  Whatever it was, the name stuck.  One hundred years ago, kids used to lug these covered buckets of beer to workers at lunch and to their parents at the end of the day.  They called their task "rushing the growler".  

One fine example of a glass growler that's over 100 years old is from Brewdood's personal collection. Before refrigeration, beer was only available by the keg at saloons. Schlitz Breiwng Company, (you know, the beer that made Milwaukee famous) had an account at a nearby hotel. Guests wanting beer for room service were out of luck until the hotel had growlers made.

This growler was filled at the bar of a fine Milwaukee hotel for room service circa 1895. Note the glass etched with the brewery's logo. The ceramic top is labeled, "Schlitz Breiwng Company The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous"

The wooden growler gave way to the metal growler which gave way to waxed cardboard containers by the 1950's.  The cardboard did eventually soak through but anyone who waited that long to drink their beer probably wouldn't have bought it in the first place.  Just as the cardboard container sales began to soar many states began allowing liquor sales on Sundays prompting people to simply go to the bar for a fresh pint than drink from a container at home.  Fresh draft beer beat container stored draft beer every time.  Then in the late 1980's a small brewpub in California run by the Otto brothers decided to put their beer in glass vessels that looked a lot like moonshine jugs.  They put their logo on the bottle and the rest was soon to be beer history.

Cheers!