The world of craft beer has undergone a significant transformation over the past few decades, with breweries continuously innovating to meet the demand for quality, convenience, and sustainability. One of the more recent innovations in beer packaging is the crowler — a large, resealable can that allows craft breweries to offer beer in a portable, fresh container.
Unlike traditional beer packaging, such as bottles or standard cans, crowlers are unique because they can be sealed directly at the brewery, offering a fresh take-home option for beer lovers. A crowler is a large aluminum can, usually holding 32 fluid ounces, which can be filled with beer directly from the tap and sealed using a specialized machine. This makes crowlers particularly appealing for customers looking to enjoy a brewery-fresh experience at home, especially in areas where it’s not convenient to consume beer immediately after purchasing it.
Origins and Development of the Crowler
The concept of the crowler was introduced in 2013 by the Oskar Blues Brewery, a well-known brewery based in Colorado. Oskar Blues had already made its mark in the craft beer industry with its innovative approach to packaging beer in cans rather than bottles. When they introduced the crowler, they saw it as an opportunity to offer a packaging alternative that combined the best elements of both cans and growlers, which are refillable glass containers that hold beer.
The crowler, with its one-time-use convenience, quickly gained popularity because it provided beer drinkers with the ability to take home fresh draft beer without the potential for oxidation or contamination that sometimes happens with growlers. Its immediate success at Oskar Blues helped spur the broader adoption of crowlers across craft breweries throughout the U.S. and beyond.
Today, crowlers are a common sight in craft breweries, with many establishments offering them as an alternative to bottles or growlers. Breweries can fill them quickly, and customers enjoy the benefits of a sealed, portable beer container that helps preserve the beer’s freshness.
How Crowlers Work
Crowlers are typically made from aluminum, which offers the same benefits as traditional beer cans — mainly, protection from light, air, and temperature changes, all of which can negatively affect beer quality. The process of using crowlers at breweries is relatively simple and straightforward.
The Filling Process
To fill a crowler, breweries use a crowler filler machine that connects to a beer tap. The machine automatically fills the can with beer, just as it would a standard canning line. Crowlers are typically filled with freshly tapped beer, ensuring that the beer remains as fresh as possible when it reaches the consumer’s home. The can is filled to the top, ensuring that there is minimal air inside, which helps prevent oxidation, a process that can degrade the beer’s flavor over time.
The Sealing Process
After filling, the crowler is immediately sealed using a special lid and a machine that crimps the lid onto the can. This creates an airtight seal that helps maintain the freshness of the beer until it’s opened. One of the key differences between crowlers and growlers is that crowlers are sealed immediately, while growlers are typically sealed with a screw cap or flip-top, which can sometimes lose its seal over time.
Advantages of Crowlers
Crowlers provide several benefits for both breweries and customers, making them an increasingly popular option for packaging craft beer. Let’s take a closer look at some of the primary advantages of using crowlers.
1. Freshness and Quality Preservation
One of the most significant advantages of crowlers is their ability to preserve the beer’s freshness. The fact that they are sealed immediately after being filled helps to lock in the beer’s flavors and carbonation, ensuring that the beer tastes as fresh as when it was served directly from the tap. Unlike growlers, which can lose their freshness over time and may require refrigeration to preserve beer quality, crowlers are essentially single-use, providing a sealed container that helps the beer stay fresher for a longer period.
2. Convenience and Portability
Crowlers are incredibly convenient for consumers who want to take home a unique beer experience from their local brewery. Unlike bottles, which can be heavy and prone to breakage, or growlers, which may require special handling and cleaning, crowlers are lightweight, durable, and portable. They are easy to carry, store, and dispose of after use, making them an attractive option for consumers who want to take home fresh craft beer without the added hassle.
Moreover, since crowlers are made of aluminum, they are more lightweight than glass bottles or growlers, which makes them easier to transport without worrying about breakage.
3. Environmental Sustainability
Crowlers are generally more environmentally friendly than glass bottles. Aluminum cans are highly recyclable, and recycling them requires less energy than recycling glass. This has become an important consideration in the sustainability-conscious craft beer industry. Many breweries are now offering crowlers as a way to reduce waste while still providing a fresh, high-quality beer option for customers.
Some breweries even encourage the recycling of crowlers or offer discounts to customers who bring in empty cans to be reused. This helps reduce the environmental impact of packaging waste and promotes a circular economy within the craft beer community.
4. Cost-Effectiveness for Breweries
For breweries, crowlers offer a more cost-effective solution compared to bottling or using glass growlers. Crowlers can be purchased in bulk at a relatively low cost, and the machines used to seal them are generally less expensive than the bottling lines required for glass bottles. Additionally, the speed at which crowlers can be filled and sealed makes them an efficient choice for breweries, especially those that need to quickly offer beer to customers for takeout.
5. Versatility and Customization
Crowlers offer a great deal of flexibility in terms of size and design. The 32-ounce size is perfect for customers who want to enjoy a smaller quantity of beer without committing to a full growler. Crowlers also provide breweries with the opportunity to create custom designs for special releases, seasonal beers, or limited-edition brews. These custom designs can help breweries stand out and create a unique branding opportunity for their products.
The Popularity of Crowlers in Craft Breweries
Crowlers have gained significant popularity among craft breweries and beer drinkers. Craft beer fans appreciate the ability to take home fresh beer from their favorite breweries in a convenient and portable format. Many breweries now offer crowlers as part of their standard to-go menu, alongside other packaging options like bottles and cans. Crowlers have also become popular for special events, festivals, or beer releases, where customers want to take home something unique and limited-edition.
Breweries often use crowlers for special one-off beers or seasonal offerings that may not be available in bottles or cans. This gives customers a chance to enjoy something new and different, while also providing breweries with an opportunity to showcase new and experimental brews.
Conclusion: The Future of Crowlers in Craft Beer
As the craft beer industry continues to grow and evolve, the crowler has carved out a niche for itself as a convenient, fresh, and environmentally-friendly packaging option. With the ability to preserve beer quality, offer portability, and promote sustainability, crowlers have become a popular choice for breweries and consumers alike. As the demand for unique craft beers continues to rise, the crowler will likely remain a staple in the packaging landscape of craft breweries for years to come.
For beer lovers, crowlers provide a way to enjoy their favorite beers at home without sacrificing quality or freshness. Whether you’re enjoying a limited-edition brew or picking up a fresh draft from your local brewery, crowlers offer a practical and efficient solution for taking craft beer on the go.
