Tag Archives: Save the Growler

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1,700 Empty Growlers of Beer at Town Hall Brewery

Town Hall’s Growler Return Program a Smashing Success

In case you miseed it with all the other Mn Craft Beer Week & American Craft Beer Week events going on, Town Hall Brewery, the award-winning Minneapolis brewpub, has been running a special “Growler Spring Cleaning Program.” The recycling program offers discounts in exchange for any empty growler, from any brewpub or brewery. The #RefillTownHall has been so successful they have extended it through Sunday, May 17.


Town Hall Brewery estimates more than 1,700 empty growlers have been returned since the campaign started April 27, roughly 75 percent of those have been from other breweries or brewpubs. Most of the growlers have been from Twin Cities breweries, while there is also growler representation from Greater Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as California.

Town Hall Brewery is encouraging craft beer fans to clean out their collections and bring in used growlers to their Seven Corners location: 1430 Washington Ave. South in Minneapolis. In return for each empty growler, customers will receive either a Town Hall Brewery gift card worth $4, or a $4 discount on a fresh, full Town Hall 64oz or 750ml growler. The more growlers a person exchanges, the bigger their reward. It should be noted that ONLY the Seven Corners location is set up to accept take growlers, but you’ll be able to use the gift cards at any Town Hall Location.

In addition, for each empty growler you bring in, you can enter to win the following prizes:

  • 4-pack (mini growlers) of Town Hall’s famed ‘Barrel Aged’ beers.
  • A free Town Hall growler every month for a year.
  • Bowling party for four at Town Hall Lanes.
  • Private brewery tour for eight at Town Hall Brewery.
  • Dinner for two at Town Hall Tap.
  • Other Town Hall gift cards, growlers, and merchandise.

Through the rest of the May Town Hall will continue to accept empty growlers from other breweries in exchange for a $4 discount on growler refills. Thereafter, the discount for empty returns from other breweries will be $3.

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Minnesota Breweries Launch Growler Punch Card

A group of Minnesota breweries are launching a cooperative punch card program. The “Minnesota Brewery Punch Cards” are good for one growler fill at each of the following breweries:

  • Flat Earth Brewing Co.
  • 612 Brew
  • Bent Paddle Brewing Co.
  • Castle Danger Brewery
  • Excelsior Brewing Company
  • Fulton
  • Hammerheart Brewing Company
  • Indeed Brewing Company
  • Lift Bridge
  • North Gate Brewing
  • Steel Toe Brewing

The punch cards are $75, which averages out to $6.81 per growler fill. Not too shabby. Growler prices in MN can be a little steep. This is a great way to experience and support local breweries while getting a good bang for your buck. The proceeds from the card sales go to support the MN Brewer’s Association, the same group on Minnesota brewers that were behind the Save the Growler movement last legislative session.

Note: Cards do not include the cost of the container, only the growler fill. Breweries have final discretion on qualifying growler fills.

Let’s hope the MN Brewer’s Assoc. is looking at future legislation to allow any Minnesota brewer to fill any MN growler. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Legislative Events, Newsfeed

Indeed Brewing Now Selling Growlers

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Indeed GrowlerAs a result of the progress made during the last legislative session, Indeed Brewing is selling growlers. Indeed never intended to sell growlers because they planned on meeting the 3,500 bbl limited very early early on in their production plans.

Thanks to the Save the Growler movement effort organized by the Minnesota Brewer’s Association, the 3,500 bbls limit has been upped to 20,000 bbls. Matt Schwandt covered the issue here in Minnesota Growlers Saved For Some, For Now.

Now, If we could fix the universal branding issue, we can leave the growler rules alone for a while.

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Minnesota Growlers Saved For Some, For Now

This most recent legislative session was a doozy with regard to alcohol-related proposals.  Many of the proposals introduced by lawmakers sparked widespread, vocal opposition among the alcoholic beverage industry and consumers alike.  Craft breweries and craft beer fans, in particular, had good cause to be concerned.  Perhaps the most nefarious alcohol-related proposal was a 600% increase on the state’s already bloated – in comparison with neighboring states – excise tax on beer.  Fortunately, this proposed tax increase was ultimately rejected, owing much to the outcry from breweries and beer fans across the state.

Also on the legislative agenda this past term was a proposal authored by Senator James Metzen (DFL) and Representative Joe Atkins (DFL) to amend the off-sale growler licensing criteria.  Most significantly, the proposed amendment was aimed at raising the annual production limit for qualifying breweries from 3,500 barrels per year to 20,000 barrels per year.  Under existing law, production breweries can only sell growlers of their beer if they produce fewer than 3,500 barrels per year.
save the growler
Although growler sales do not usually make up a substantial part of a brewery’s revenue, growler sales are nonetheless a worthwhile revenue stream for breweries as they not only increase overall retail sales but also provide a unique customer experience in that customers must visit the brewery itself to buy a growler.  For breweries with taprooms, this is a great way to add value to retail sales.  Further, smaller breweries have come to rely on revenue generated by growler sales.

The 3,500 barrel threshold is relatively low even for breweries with modest production goals.  In order to grow their businesses beyond 3,500 barrels annually, breweries must therefore choose to either eliminate growler sales entirely or fix their annual production at some point below the 3,500 barrel threshold.  For obvious reasons, neither of these approaches are desirable.

Raising the annual production threshold to 20,000 barrels is a step in the right direction.  And while the growler proposal passed to relatively little fanfare, the measure garnered substantial support leading up to its passage.  Save The Growler, an effort organized by the Minnesota Brewer’s Association, was very active across multiple social media platforms in encouraging voters to take action by contacting their elected representatives.  Thanks to the support of Minnesota craft breweries and beer fans, most of the state’s smaller craft breweries will not have to worry about losing revenue from growler sales in the near term.  An annual production threshold of 20,000, however, is still relatively low, and is likely to be a source of frustration for Minnesota’s craft beer industry in the long term.  Consider Surly Brewing Co., which is one of the fastest growing breweries in the U.S., let alone Minnesota.  According to data published by the Brewers Association, Surly produced in excess of 20,000 barrels in 2012, and is on pace to brew approximately 30,000 barrels in 2013.  Thus, Surly growlers will remain a unicorn for the time being.

Newer Minnesota breweries hoping to continue selling growlers should also be concerned about the new 20,000 barrel limit.  Fulton Brewing exceeded the 3,500 barrel limit in its first year of operation at its current downtown Minneapolis brewery.  Indeed Brewing Company, one of the state’s fastest growing new breweries (and still less than a year old), announced in February that it is increasing its production capacity to 6,400 barrels.  Market analysts predict that the craft beer segment will continue to increase its annual production by double digits every year through at least 2017.  Fulton and Indeed could, therefore, reach the 20,000 annual limit within the next few years, which would create for them the same dilemma regarding growler sales as existed under the 3,500 barrel threshold.

Minnesota breweries and beer fans should be happy about the recent increase in the annual barrel limit regarding growler sales.  But in the years ahead, we should continue to ask our legislators to relax arbitrary limits on worthwhile revenue streams for breweries.  Brewers and consumers alike would benefit from a stable, predictable market for growlers.

The growler amendment can be viewed here, and officially takes effect on July 1, 2013.

Legislative Events

Save the Growler?

A growler is a 64oz or 750ml container of beer. In most cases growlers are sold directly from the brewery to the consumer. They are a great way to bring home a taste of local beer in an easily transportable container. Growlers are vital to the income of small local breweries, especially those that do not have bottling or canning facilities.

save the growler

The ability to sell growlers directly to consumers enables Minnesota brewers to have a direct line of revenue from their beer. When a brewery sells growlers they don’t have the added expense of transporting the beer to market and from the retailer, or worry about the additional investment in kegs.

Growlers are all the rage with Minnesota beer fans. Growlers are a great way to bring home a bit of your experience at the brewery. Once you see the fermenters, the bright tanks, and meet the guys and gals making your beer you’ll want to take a jug of it to go. Growlers are great for trips like canoeing or picnics, or even bringing one to a party.

Growlers sound great, right? So why can’t you get one at every brewery? Size. Growlers are limited to Minnesota breweries that produce less than 3,500bbls of beer annually. The breweries that can sell growlers are limited to 500bbls in growler sales. Once a brewery passes that magic 3.500bbls number the right to sell growlers is forever gone. The growlers you bought are about as useful as flower pots.

Why is 3,500bbls the magic number? The number is based on the production limit for brewpubs. Last year, I spoke to a brewery owner about the limit, he told me it was a terrible place to have the limit, saying most breweries don’t even start breaking even until they reach 3,500bbls. Why would you punish a local business for being successful?

Brittany Krekelberg, Badger Hill Brewing Co-Founder says, “Part of the expanding American palate, not only includes craft beer, but also the experience of visiting a local brewery and being able to purchase a growler to take home.”

Shouldn’t you be able to enjoy a growler from every brewery in Minnesota, regardless of production size? That is the argument being put forth by the Minnesota Brewers Association (different from the Minnesota Craft Brewer’s Guild) a group of about a dozen Minnesota packaging breweries. The association is behind the “Save the Growler” movement. An initiative that would allow all Minnesota breweries the right to sell growlers, regardless of size. The group isn’t trying to change the limit on growler sales, 500bbls a year seems to be enough.

“We’re all doing this because our customers and locals have built a phenomenal community centered around our beers,” says Excelsior Brewery’s Ben Flattum. “Part of our responsibility, in return, is to ensure that everyone is up to date on legislation and circumstances that could limit their choices going forward.”

There isn’t any proposed legislation yet, but I was assured that it is being worked on.  In the meantime, if you want to “Save the Growler” check them out on facebook, twitter, and sign up for their mailing list at SaveTheGrowler.org.