For years, the growler—a refillable brown glass jug designed for portability—was the premier way to bring your favorite brews home. That is, until the sealable, 32-ounce can, known as the crowler, stepped in.
In the test of take-home brews, the question is, which option will elevate your business to new levels?
The crowler vs growler debate is in full swing, and this article will take you through the pros and cons of both to-go options. From sustainability to drinkability, we’re exploring everything you need to know about crowlers and growlers. Warning: you may get thirsty.
Crowlers vs Growlers: What Are They?
Before delving into the details about crowlers and growlers, let’s explain what they are and how they work.
Bars, pubs, and breweries looking to increase their beer sales have frequently offered their customers options like:
- Beer flights
- Monthly beer clubs
- Daily specials
These programs can help sell products but are limited to on-site consumption. While selling prepackaged 6-packs to-go is common, it doesn’t allow customers to keep up with the latest flavors on your taps. That’s why breweries turn to crowlers and growlers to give craft beer fans an option to try the latest and freshest drafts from their kitchen tables.
Crowlers
Crowlers are 32-ounce (1 quart) aluminum cans designed to be sealed in-house. This way, you can have your pick of what’s on tap and take it with you.
First invented by the Oskar Blues Brewery in partnership with the Ball Corporation, crowlers have several unique features:
- Recyclable – While these 32-ounce cans have a slightly different design than a standard can, they’re still 100% recyclable. Forget about excessive waste and contributing to landfills, crowlers are a sustainable option for businesses concerned about their environmental footprint.
- Customized label – Every crowler can be outfitted with a customized label from your bar or craft brewery to help spread the word about your top-shelf brews.
- Specialized sealer – Once a crowler can is filled, the top is attached via a table-top machine. This device, known as a “can seamer,” can quickly fasten both ends of the can together, creating an air-tight seal.
Growlers
Glass growlers, on the other hand, are far older technology. In fact, growlers have existed for more than 100 years as a convenient way of carrying beer from the pub to back home. Since the early craft beer movement, the standard beer growler has been sold and filled with relatively few technical updates.
Most commonly, growlers are 32 or 64-ounce glass jugs. They can come in a variety of shapes and colors and can even feature a few unique variations, like the mini 16-ounce beer growler or the massive 1-gallon behemoth.
Glass growlers are relatively easy to use and are known for the following features:
- Refillable – Growlers are multi-use objects. Every time customers finish off a growler, they can return to their favorite brewery for a fresh fill-up. Just make sure you clean it thoroughly between fills. You don’t want cross-contamination between a stout and an IPA.
- Cap and go – After filling a growler from the tap, no additional tech is required. Simply cap off the top and send your patron on their way with a fresh jug of brew.
Despite the classic nature of beer growlers, some companies are experimenting with new materials, accessories, and features to bring growlers into the 21st century, such as:
- Stainless steel exteriors
- Vacuum-insulated interiors
- Pressure seal caps
- Easy-pour technology
When it comes to all things beer, innovation never stops.
Crowlers vs Growlers: Cost and Profit
The bottom line is often your top priority when running a business. To that end, before even considering adding either of these options to your inventory, let’s explore potential costs and earning opportunities when it comes to to-go brews.
Both crowlers and growlers provide additional revenue opportunities outside of simply selling more beer and attracting more regulars to your doors. However, business owners must also consider initial start-up costs when implementing either option.
Crowlers
To bring crowlers into your business, you’ll need to take two major expenses into account:
- Seamers – To can your crowlers, you’ll need a seamer. The average new crowler seamer costs around $4,000, making this equipment a hefty investment for any business. Of course, if you’re selling hundreds of cans per week, your initial investment may pay for itself relatively quickly.
- Crowler cans – You’ll need to find a supplier of aluminum crowler cans for your brewery. For the best impact, insure that your crowler cans are professionally labeled and shipped straight to your door.
With those expenses met, you’ll have the opportunity to sell everything on your taps directly to your customers. A crowler can might sell for $5 to $10 and can net your business a few thousand dollars per week in revenue, depending on the volume of your sales.
While the margins of to-go beverages are usually smaller than the margins of in-house drinking, crowler customers are most often showing up for a few beers at the bar and taking a crowler or two home, providing ample opportunity to increase sales throughout the day.
Growlers
The start-up costs for growlers is relatively low for many businesses—when shopping wholesale, you can typically buy growlers for about $5 a pop. However, stainless steel growlers can cost up to $25 dollars per item. With that said, other common investments include:
- Custom growlers – You can stay traditional with the classic growler or opt to customize your growlers to market your business and provide your customers with exclusive collectibles. Simply add the name of your brewery and a few eye-catching graphics to the glass container.
- Licenses – Depending on your state, you may be required to buy an additional license to fill and sell growlers out of your establishment. Research local laws to ensure all your business practices are above board. Obtaining a license may also require a small fee.
Most businesses sell growler fill-ups for $10 to $20, depending on the size and type of beer. Factor in another $3 to $7 for every customer growler you sell, and you can establish a valuable source of revenue.
Additionally, consider weekly deals on growler fills. This can be a great way to move products that aren’t selling as quickly. Plus, it gives patrons just one more reason to stop by and fill their cups.
Crowlers vs Growlers: Quality and Drinkability
While crowlers and growlers are both efficient ways to get drafts out of your bar and into your customers’ homes, the most important factor for a beer drinker is taste. As such, when deciding between crowlers and growlers there are a few factors to consider when it comes to product quality.
Crowlers
There’s little debate that crowlers are one of the best ways to capture the flavor of draft beer. Why? Consider the following crowler features:
- Long-lasting – Beer stored in a growler will begin to lose its flavor after only a few days. UV light and oxygen diminish the beer’s carbonation and freshness. Fortunately, a crowler can keep your beer tasting fresh for more than a month. For that fresh-from-the-tap taste weeks later, a crowler is the only option.
- Effective – The resealable nature of growlers means you can sip them over multiple sessions. The problem is, each time the growler’s opened, the beer inside is exposed to outside elements, which can inhibit the flavor. Conversely, a crowler is cracked open once for a truly enjoyable drinking session that provides maximum quality and flavor.
Growlers
While the strengths of crowlers underline some of the weaknesses of growlers, there are still a few opportunities to maximize the quality of your growler-bottled beer.
Consider what some manufacturers are doing to elevate the quality of growler beer:
- Better caps – Latches, gaskets, and pressure seal caps can help keep oxygen out of your growler. Replace your standard screwcap with a tighter fitting topper, and your customers can enjoy your beer longer.
- Non-glass construction – While glass is inexpensive and washable, it allows far too much light to interact with the beer. Newer growlers are being constructed with double-lined stainless steel or opaque ceramic exteriors to keep light away from your brews.
Crowlers vs Growlers: Convenience and Portability
Customers love crowlers and growlers because they can take their beer with them wherever they go—whether it’s the powdered slopes of the nearest mountain or their backyard barbeque. As such, equipping your business with portable options helps you meet the needs of your customers.
Crowlers
There’s nothing easier than carrying a can out of your local brewpub. In addition to convenience, crowlers offer quite a few benefits to the beer-loving public:
- Special delivery – Craft beer enthusiasts are always looking to share their favorite flavors with friends and loved ones. One of the biggest benefits of crowlers is that they ship well. Customers can put together a care package of unique brews and send them across the country. It’s a great way for your beer to travel the nation, even if you don’t have an established distribution network.
- No spills, no leaks – Growlers are known to leak when improperly sealed, and there’s always the risk that a glass growler could shatter. While you shouldn’t drop or throw a crowler either, the aluminum can design is far more durable than the average growler.
Growlers
Growlers might not be perfect, but they offer some true conveniences to businesses that shouldn’t be overlooked. Growlers are particularly good for:
- Fast filling – Whether you use a tap extender, a CO2 line, or pour straight from the tap, filling and capping a growler is far faster than filling and sealing a crowler. For high-volume businesses, that extra time may be necessary when attending to customers and making sales. Every second counts in the bar industry.
- Enough to share – A 64-ounce growler might be a lot for a single session of some high-ABV draft. Fortunately, the size is perfect for sharing. Many customers look forward to filling their growler and giving their friends a pour of what they’ve been enjoying. The growler may be a great way to get more people tasting your beer.
Boost Your To-Go Sales With Wildpack Beverage
Choosing between crowlers and growlers can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. Your business can use both to maximize the reach of your brews and ensure every customer enjoys your beer from the comfort of their own home.
If you’re curious about all the ways to get your beverages into more hands (and mouths), it’s time to visit Wildpack Beverage.
For us, it’s about more than crafting an elegant can. With customized labeling and sleeving and quick and convenient delivery, we help your business flourish. Our experienced team is equipped to handle your brand with efficiency and reliability, offering top-of-the-line end-to-end capabilities and dedicated customer service to ensure you’re getting the most out of our partnership.
Wildpack is your one-stop-shop for all your beverage needs.
Sources:
Vine Pair. What Is a Crowler, Exactly — And Should You Care?. https://vinepair.com/articles/what-is-a-crowler-beer-history/
Beer Connoisseur. Everything You Need To Know About Beer Growlers. https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/everything-need-know-beer-growlers
Seven Fifty Daily. How Crowler Cans are Saving Breweries. https://daily.sevenfifty.com/how-crowler-cans-are-saving-breweries/
The Streets. Here’s How Much You Are Overpaying for Nearly Every Beer You Drink. https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/heres-how-much-you-are-overpaying-for-nearly-every-beer-you-drink-12889718
Bon Appetit. Why the World Needs More Crowlers—Wait, What’s a Crowler https://www.bonappetit.com/drinks/beer/article/what-is-a-crowler-beer
