While glass growlers are available at nearly every craft brewery you can think of, there’s a few flaws in their design that may steer you towards purchasing one made of metal. The most obvious being, glass breaks. Imagine this: you’re leaving your favourite brewery, on your way to a party with a growler of your new favourite seasonal beer that you’ve been raving to friends about all week. As you go to unlock your car door, you fumble with the keys and your growler falls to the unforgiving pavement, shattering, much like your hopes and dreams of wowing your friends with this incredible brew. A true party fowl.
If you’re a beer lover or even a casual weekend drinker, it’s more than likely that you’ve heard the term Craft Beer tossed around in conversation. But what exactly is craft beer? And why should you chose it instead of the mass marketed beers that you’ve been sipping on since graduating high school? Well here’s 3 key reasons why you should abandon your loyalty to mass produced beers and start experiencing the incredible world that is the craft beer industry.
Starting things off with the most important reason to convert: Craft Beer simply TASTES BETTER. While mass marketed beer companies focus on their profit margins to commercialize big events, such as the Superbowl. Craft brewers prefer to spend their time perfecting their flavors in order to offer beer lovers a unique experience through their pints. With the growing popularity of the craft beer industry, it’s never been easier to find the right beer for your taste preference; ensuring you aren’t forced into the one-size-fits-all flavor that the mainstream beer offers.
Another great reason to choose craft beer over the basic brands: Craft Beer generally contains MORE ALCOHOL. The average alcohol by volume (ABV) content of a craft beer ranges from 5% to 10%, with some specialty beers offering up to 40%! Contrasting the watery mass produced beers that usually sit between an ABV of 4-6% and sometimes even offering as little as 2%. That’s right, the basic brands of beer that have been flying off the shelves for decades are essentially glorified bread water. In other words, you may have to consume two or three mainstream cold-ones just to match the ABV you could get from a good quality craft beer. This fact will not only save you money, but it will also save your bladder several trips to the washroom!
The third and final key reason to shift your loyalty is: Craft Beer Supports the Local Economy. When you spend your money on the mass produced beers, your money is going directly to the pockets of rich executives and producers all over the world. However, when you choose to buy a good craft beer, the money is going to support a brewery that is likely in your area. The best part is that most local breweries give back to the community by funding local charities and hosting community events and sports teams. Meaning, when you support the local brewery, you are helping your own community thrive.
#craftbeernotcrapbeer
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It’s no secret that over consumption of any alcohol can have serious and potentially fatal side effects. However, there are legitimate studies that show that there can be real health benefits linked to moderate consumption of beer. Now, what is moderation? Certainly not something any college student has ever heard of. Moderation is described as one or two drinks per day. Here’s a few reasons why you should consider unwinding with a pint of craft beer after a long day at work.
Experts and alcohol lovers alike agree that beer can be seen as more of a food than a beverage, often being referred to as liquid bread. Anyone who’s ever sipper a pint of Guinness would be able to agree. This means that while contributing to your daily caloric intake, beer is also providing you with the essential nutrients your body craves. A professor of brewing sciences at the University of California claims that beer is better for you than wine when it comes to B vitamins, phosphorus, folate and niacin. Craft beer is especially rich in antioxidants thanks to the barley and hops used in the production. Which means, moderate beer consumption may be the key to getting your body the nutrients it needs!
In a world where not nearly enough adults engage in the recommended amount of daily exercise, beer could be the solution. In a study published in the National Institute of Health, it was found that people who qualify as moderate drinkers were twice as likely to engage in exercise compared to people who didn’t drink at all. Moderate drinkers were also found more aware of their caloric consumptions, which is linked to a healthy lifestyle. So go ahead and pick up that beer after a long day, it may be the motivation you need to get in your next workout.
Dating back as early the late 1800’s there’s records of thirsty townspeople carrying home their newly discovered brews in large steel pails. While there were several flaws in the carrying method, it was the simplest way to haul the glorious product back home for a midnight snack. The design was quickly improved by including a lid, to prevent loss of beer through sloshing, from the stumbling carrier who was more than likely pretty sloshed. While the first version of the growler was simple, it was proven extremely inefficient in maintaining product quality. When being carried home, the sloshing in the bucket resulted in the escape of C02 and a very flat bucket of beer by the end of the journey.
Over the years the growlers popularity progressed, as did its design. Following the dark times of the prohibition, beer once again hit the streets. Local bars recruited delivery services from city kids, creating the industry of “rushing the growler”, bringing the valuable beers from popular bars to the homes of local workers and desperate parents.
Fast forward to the 1980’s, when the Otto Brothers and their draft-only microbrewery in Wyoming wanted to offer beer-to-go for their loyal customers. Unfortunately, they lacked the resources to begin bottling. After stumbling upon their fathers’ old tin beer pale growler, the brothers decided to revamp the forgotten carrying device. Replacing tin with glass, the brothers designed half gallon bottles, allowing their loyal customers to bring home beers with ease. Thus the birth of the modern day growler that we all know and love.
The evolution of the growler continued into our day and age with the addition of new materials. Starting with glass and then spiraling into other variations such as ceramic and my personal favorite, insulated stainless steel. Each material has its own individual perks but at the end of the day they all share the common goal of bringing beer lovers the ability to bring their favourite brews wherever life may take them.
Ecologically-and economically-friendly, with decades of innovation and remodelling, growlers have become a staple in the life of resourceful drinkers across the globe. But how exactly did this craft beer staple product get its name? That may be best debated over a pint. The earliest theory suggests the term “growler” may be traced back to when the thirsty townspeople swung their buckets all the way home. It was said the CO2 escaping from the lid made a grumbling sound. Maybe the term “growler” comes from giving the early workers a bucket of beer to prevent their stomachs from growling during a long day. Another theory suggests the name comes from the sound of a full pint being shoved down the bar by the bartender. Or perhaps it comes from the feeling of grumpiness one might feel after pounding an entire growler on a night in.