Page 25 - Beverage MasterOct Nov 2020

Craft Brewery

21st-Century Growlers:

Pairing Innovation and Convenience

By: Cheryl Gray
P ortable beer containers earn their reputa- However, the demand from consumers remains

tion not only by how convenient they are to the same. Beer lovers want their favorite craft brew
transport but also by how well they protect
the beer inside. In the age of COVID-19, these por- to stay cold, fresh and ready-to-pour in a container
that can go anywhere.
table options have also become a lifeline for craft
breweries whose businesses have turned to beer- Craft Master Growlers
to-go sales to survive.
John Burns knows a thing or two about the cre-
The growler has been around since the late 1800s ativity and technology required for manufacturing
when beer was transported from saloons in a rick- the perfect growler for beer lovers on-the-go. He
ety metal pail with a not-so-secure lid. Fast forward is CEO of Source Management Limited, the 22-year
to 1989, and the year historians say that Charles old parent company of Craft Master Growlers, Inc.,
Otto, founder of Grand Teton Brewing in Wyoming, based in Tacoma, Washington.
introduced the half-gallon glass growlers we see
most commonly today. Since Otto’s reinvention, Burns told Beverage Master Magazine that craft
the growler has come a long way. Many 21st-centu- breweries can truly benefit by marketing products
ry growlers have little resemblance to their prede- through the use of growlers. This is especially true
cessors. for onsite brewing operations that don’t distrib-

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