the
GROWLER
THE TAP AND GROWLER
HAS 70PLUS TAPS
RUSH
A guide to the new beverage boom in town
PHOTO BY TRASK BEDORTHA
by alex notman
J
ust imagine: The year is 1777 and, after
a long day commanding troops in the
Revolutionary War, future fi rst President
George Washington just wants a brewsky.
A striking fi gure with silver mane, ruffl ed
collar and white culottes, Washington
gallivants around the colonies swinging
a bulbous vessel frothing with his
compatriot Samuel Adams’ brew (most
likely a porter). Maybe the vessel even
has some old-timey hand lettering like
“I’m number one!” When the beer runs
dry, Washington is not above begging:
“Soldiers in the American Revolution drew a quart of
beer each in their daily rations. When the supply ran short
George Washington begged the Board of War in 1777
to rush the growler for more. Washington himself drank
beer,” Hal Boyle writes in the 1949 Tuscaloosa News story
“Of History And Beer.”
Whether the veracity of Washington’s imbibing habits
holds true, there is no doubt that growlers have long been
a popular transportable container for beer and wine. Their
popularity waned with the rise of the six-pack and mass
production in the 20th century, but now a new golden wave
of growler-dom is washing over Eugene. Oregon law has
allowed breweries and taphouses to fi ll growlers with beer
in the past, but as of last spring the fl oodgates opened
wider when Gov. Kitzhaber signed the “Growler Bill” (aka
House Bill 2443), allowing wineries, cider houses, local
groceries and other licensed retailers to sell wine and hard
cider in growlers to consumers.
This boom has ushered in a new era for libations: the
era of the reusable container. In the past six months, four
growler fi ll stations have bubbled up — The Tap and
Growler, Growler Guys, Growler Nation, The Steel Pail
— and another, Growler University, is slated to open mid-
December. Add that to the explosion of breweries in the
area, and other licensed retailers that fi ll growlers, like
KELLY JONES AT
GROWLER GUYS
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
early adopters 16 Tons as well as grocers, gas stations and
teahouses, and it’s safe to say that Eugene is undergoing a
growler rush. Even Vanilla Jill’s Frozen Yogurt has gotten
into the growler game with six Kore Kombucha (fermented
tea) brews on tap. These new laws and options can leave the
uninitiated thirsty consumer confused and overwhelmed;
EW gives you the 101 on local growler culture, from fi ll
stations to the vessel to the libations’ source.
JUST TAP IT IN
Sharing with the community is, in part, why growler
stations have such footing in craft brew meccas like Bend
and are gaining popularity in Eugene. “We’re selling things
that are not available in stores,” says Patric Campbell, co-
owner of The Tap and Growler on 5th and Pearl. Walk into
any of the growler stations or growler tap houses and tasting
rooms in town — mostly rustic affairs with lots of wood,
stone and corrugated tin — and you will be confronted with
at least 25 taps of local, regional and international craft beer;
most have a smattering of wine and kombucha, and The Tap
and Growler also sells craft sodas from Agrarian Ales and
Pacori cold press coffee. Places like The Tap and Growler,
which Campbell distinguishes as a growler taphouse and
tasting room — not just a fi ll station — also offer fl exibility.
“You can order a ‘your choice’ fl ight,” he says, which
could include three beers and three wines, for example, or
whatever combinations from the 70-plus taps that tickle
your fancy.
“Going to the store and picking up a six-pack is not
a fun experience,” says Mark Bilton-Smith, founder and
co-owner of Growler University, opening next month on
Villard Street. “At the growler station, we get in touch
with the consumer — to be able to teach the university
students, who are used to the beer bong, about the taste.”
Education will be a big aspect, Bilton-Smith notes, adding
that he wants to inform the university demographic how
to appreciate beer, the same way wine connoisseurs have
been doing for millennia, by identifying and savoring
aroma, hops, malt, acidity and good food pairings.
The price point of fi lls is also part of the appeal of
growler stations. The cost varies depending on size of vessel
and type of beverage, but wine and kombucha are typically
cheaper when bought on tap, while beer varies. Many beer
consumers complain that a six-pack of beer is cheaper
than a 64-ounce growler; however, the beers available on
tap are fresher, have undergone less degradation from the
distribution process and are often special or seasonal brews
that cannot be bought in the store.
eugeneweekly.com • November 14, 2013
13