Gone Growler?

  When I first truly discovered craft beer, I was a major growler enthusiast. 2 litres of delicious beer in a big jug all for me? Sold! As a still confirmed mass consumer of beer, this was little trouble for me to get through in a single sitting and at the cusp of the revolution and explosion of new breweries, it was often the only choice to be able to bring home some of the more exciting brews from newcomers. Canning and bottling adds costs to any beer and many start ups tended to lean hard into growlers or howlers (1L) as a cheaper alternative to having to buy or rent the equipment or expertise of others. The deposit often a forgotten part of your growler purchase, a one time fee that usually set you back $5 but then allowed you to get a fill at the price posted afterward, while completely forgetting that you could return said vessel and get your deposit back. But in the beginning, it was all so glorious we just returned to have our brown bottles filled every time and off we would go in happy gratitude for such luck as we had.

  Over time, the availability of cans and bottles has increased at almost every stop. The rare or small one off batches may still be growler only, but for the most part, the growing public attention paid to craft beer seems to be shying away from such large volume purchases that must be consumed in a relatively short time.  My own personal collection of 24 Growlers and 20 Howlers is a testament to those early days and the fact that only a few of them have been purchased in the last year or so speaks to a changing landscape of both drinker and producer. There are people who still get their fills on the regular but I feel, anecdotely of course, that the days are numbered for these behemoth carriers of liquid dreams in terms of their percentage of purchases. They will never go away completely, but their popularity has certainly peaked as the public demands more options and leans hard into cans as the perfect delivery of both freshness and preservation for later consumption.

from 2016's Polkapolooza

How I used to feel about my growlers

 
  I know some will say the death knell for the 2 litre is premature and with places like Barncat going strong with little but growlers for their IPAs and selling out to boot, there will always be a market for them. But I feel the tide has turned as more people enjoy the idea of mixing a six pack with a few options, not just 4 pints of one thing. A recent Twitter poll showcases just this as over 85 % of people responded to my question about growler usage with either Never or only for Special releases. The world is changing all around us and craft beer is going right along with it.
The reason so many get into craft beer is the options available, not the same old thing glass after glass. The sharing of a growler still makes a strong case for it's continued use, but even that seems to be fading as it's easier to pick up an extra can of something special to share with a  pal, easier still if it is in the 355ml option, a growing segment of beer can choice. 
  But I will say that something about writing about this brings me joy as I reminisce about the heady days when I first started exploring beer in a new and exciting way and my growler felt like I belonged to a cool and exclusive club. I'll hang onto my beauties for now, for the times I get nostalgic and pick up a jug of Ransack or Headstock, maybe a trip to Barncat or some other old friend will bring me home with a night's worth of memories in one long pour.

Cheers!
Polk