Gritty McDuff’s, Portland, ME, announced in May that it is selling Gritty’s Growlers, refillable 64-oz glass jugs of draft beer available for carryout, at its three brew pubs in Portland, Auburn and Freeport.
“We’re thrilled to be selling Gritty’s Growlers,” says co-owner and master brewer Ed Stebbins. “We’ve been getting requests for some time from customers about having fresh-from-the-tap beer available to them at home and now we can offer it to them.”
Gritty's Growlers will be available at all three Maine pubs at a cost of $15.99 for the reusable jug filled with 64 oz of fresh Gritty’s beer. Customers can then bring in their empty, clean jug to any of the pubs and pay $11.99 to have it refilled. Gritty’s sources the jugs locally.
Growlers are a longstanding brewing tradition. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, fresh beer was carried home from the local pub in a small galvanized pail. Rumor has it that when the beer sloshed around the pail, it created a rumbling sound as the carbon dioxide escaped through the lid, thus the term "growler" was coined. Today, the pail has been replaced with a 64-oz glass jug.
The glass jugs are far more convenient than pails and environmentally friendly, too, according to Stebbins. “Customers can reuse the Gritty's Growlers endlessly – the ultimate in recycling!” he enthuses. “One advantage of the Gritty’s Growler is that customers are able to try the variety of beers that Gritty’s has to offer. After they drink the beer from their first Growler, the customer can bring in the empty Gritty’s Growler to any of our pubs to get any Gritty’s ale that’s available on tap.”
