History of the Growler... grr, rawr & stuff

As a liBEERian, I can say with good authority that reading will take you far in life. Whether it be a classic work of literature or the back of a paper menu @ the Red Hot. Here is what I have learned this week about the history of the Growler & some handy tips in it's usage, from the latter.

History of da Growla

"In the late 1800s and early 1900s, fresh beer was carried from the tavern to one's home by means of a small metal pail. Rumor has it that when the beer sloshed around the pail, it created a rumbling sound as the CO2 escaped through the lid, thus the term 'growler' was coined.

Before WWII, city kids use to bring covered buckets of draft beer from a local tavern or brewery to workers at lunchtime, or to their parents at dinnertime... a practice called 'rushing the growler'.

Some suggest that growlers are named for buckets of beer once given to factory workers before their stomachs began to 'growl' from hunger.

In the 50s and 60s, waxed cardboard containers with lids were used to take home beer - it's said that they were round and resembled take-out soup containers. In many US states, it used to be (and still is) illegal to sell alcohol on a Sunday. (eff that noise! & thank you 99 Bottles for ignoring it) So, if you wanted beer on Sunday, you went to a tavern & bought some of these containers of draft beer. Hallelujah!"

Growler Tips & Tricksterz

ways to get the most out of your growler experience

• Post growler fillage, keep cold and out of light. (I prefer the growler holder in my trunk, which will soon (hopefully) become a growler cooler) That means keep refrigerated @ all times. Helpful safety concern brought to my attention by MGD: "Most good craft brews are unpasteurized and so without this heat treatment bacteria can and will thrive at room temps." Essentially, open & drink it now bitches.
• Do not open the growler until you are ready to consume all of it's tasty insides. When sealed, a growler can last for many days. After it has been opened, the beery goodness starts to go downhill so suck it down.  Within 48-72 hours it will be undrinkable.
• If growler is filled with unfiltered beer, gently roll the growler before pouring to remix the contents within. 

On a more personal note... everyone does the growler 'dance' a bit differently. My favorite way to enjoy a growler is by grabbing 2 pint glasses, some movies & that super awesome 1/2 gallon of whatever; then head into bed to share with another. Makes for a happy threesome in my personal experience, good to the last drop.

pissed liBEERian

P.S. Oops, almost forgot... because Urban Dictionary adds humor to so many things, I've included a few other fun definitions for a 'growler'.



RedHot Tacoma. Back side of menu. Publication date: Unknown. Date of Menu reading: 9/13/2010.