A growler is a container meant to store fresh draft beer. They come in 32, 64, 128, and occasionally 16-ounce varieties. They can look like a milk jug, a glass container, your dad’s work Thermos®, or a portable tap, there are as many different kinds of growlers as there are bottles on the wall!

The word crowler is a compound word – mixing the words “can” and “growler.” A brewery out in Colorado several years ago teamed up with Ball metals to invent a can that could be put together on-the-spot, whenever someone wanted beer to go. Crowlers are light in weight, inexpensive to produce, and convenient single-use containers for taking home the taste of fresh
draft beer.

The most considerable difference between growlers and crowlers is that glass/ plastic growlers are re-usable and crowlers are only good for one fill. Remember that crowlers are like large beer cans, and growlers can be washed, sanitized, and re-sued. Both containers are recyclable, depending on local regulations on glass recycling.

At 99 Bottles, we believe that taking home draft beer should be a personal experience, just like coming in to enjoy it! Depending on the commitment you want to make to bringing home draft beer, we have a growler to fit your individual needs. Ask our team about the growlers on the wall and they can tell you about each one and why it is suited for bringing home the draft beer experience.

Individual results may vary, but the industry standard for a growler is similar to any fresh goods from breads to coffees to cupcakes – the longer you wait to enjoy, the greater the possibility the item may not be in optimal condition when opened. As for growlers, we encourage you to drink the crowler or growler within three days of bringing it home.

In truth: because you don’t want us to. There is one particular tap of beer that we don’t put in growlers or crowlers because of the science of nitrogenating beers. Nitrogenated beers (like Guinness® or Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro) tend to let gas out of solution faster than beers with carbon dioxide (CO2). Because of that, the beer will likely be flat when you get it home – and neither of us wants that.