If you’re someone who frequents a lot of microbreweries, you’ve probably already made best friends with the Growler. Mostly made of glass or ceramic, these airtight containers are perfect for taking freshly crafted beer to-go.

But what happens when you want to travel across states with specialty beers to gift your friends and you don’t want to carry something that could potentially shake your beer around or worse, break on your way? What happens when you’re picking up beer to-go for yourself and only want single-serving sizes?

Say hello to the Crowler!

What is a crowler and why do you need one?

A crowler is basically a ‘can version’ of a growler. Once sealed, you can take a crowler home and refrigerate it till you’re ready to consume it, just like you would with a regular beer can!

Crowlers are the ideal packaging format choice for many beer nerds. This is because even though growlers are convenient in their own right, they can’t always guarantee to keep your beer fresh.

Beer quality in growlers is dependent upon manufacturing and sealing procedures. Growlers of substandard quality that are filled using sub-par mechanisms could turn your beer flat by the time you decide to drink it.

Crowlers on the other hand are completely airtight and will keep your beer well protected for a while. This way, the beer in crowlers retains the exact taste that you would otherwise get while visiting the microbrewery on-premise.

Five Reasons To Love Crowlers

Here’s a quick breakdown of all the reasons why crowlers are the darlings of the craft beer industry right now.

1. They’re airtight

All crowlers come with an airtight seal. The seal helps to keep the carbonation trapped inside while it’s being refrigerated or being traveled with. Not only that, airtight seals promise zero oxidation, which means the beer will retain its quality for longer!

2. They keep light out

Skunky beer is often called ‘lightstruck’ by beer nerds. That’s because when bitter hop compounds in beer (called humulone) interact with UV rays (found in sunlight and fluorescent light), they give off an off-odour that smells exactly like skunk spray. That’s why beer and UV rays don’t make a great match. Luckily, you can count on aluminum crowlers to keep them at bay!

3. They’re convenient

Glass or ceramic growlers are fragile and easily breakable. Additionally, they can get slightly cumbersome to carry once you fill them with beer. For this reason, growlers are not the best traveling companion.

With crowlers, on the other hand, you’ve got nothing to worry about! Lightweight and resistant to breakage, these super-sleek oversized cans can fit in snugly anywhere. Another bonus? Because they’re meant for one-time use only, they’re ideal for practically any kind of trip!

4. They pack in just the right amount of beer

With the capacity of most growlers in India ranging between 1 and 5 litres, growlers are definitely a great choice if you’re having a small get-together. If you’re going solo, however, you probably won’t want to consume all that beer in one sitting!

Crowlers offer a smaller serving choice that’s perfect for when you want to wind down after a tiring workday or when you’re spending the weekend by yourself at home. Think you’re going to drink more later? You can always pick up two or more crowlers and store them in your refrigerator until you’re ready!

5. They’re completely sanitary!

Other countries across the world saw an uptick in crowler sales, especially over the last pandemic-ridden year. That’s because brewers believe crowlers are less virus-prone than non-airtight growlers. Not only that, the pandemic has made it difficult for many customers to keep returning to microbreweries with growlers for refills. In the current situation, it makes sense to use one-time-use crowlers that don’t need to be returned once they’re empty.

Haven’t tried drinking from crowlers yet? Bengaluru-based Geist Brewing Co., one of India’s most premier craft beer brands, has just launched their beer in a 500-ml crowler format! They’re currently found at Dewars on St. Marks Road and La Cave in Indiranagar so don’t forget to stop by and try the crowler experience for yourself!

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Brewer World Editorial