What You Need to Know About Crowlers in 2021

This posting will highlight the history of the Crowler Machine design, what you need to know about Crowlers in 2021 and how important Crowlers truly are today. The craft beer industry has shifted from glass containers to aluminum cans since 2013 for a myriad of reasons.

Production costs with canning beers is much cheaper than bottling beers. Consumers have flocked to aluminum cans due to being lighter, cheaper, recyclable and allowed at more outdoor locations. Cans don’t allow in light and have a smaller tendency to leak carbonation, therefore the beer stays fresher longer. The craft beer market has adjusted to COVID-19 regulations over the past year, due to beer geeks embracing the Crowler can (32 ounces of beer).

Aluminum Cans instead of Bottles

Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado took a calculated business risk in 2002 by packaging their Dale’s Pale Ale in six packs of 12 ounce cans. In 2002 the craft beer industry was packaging 100% of beers in glass bottles (12 ounce and 22 ounce bombers). American made light lagers (Coors Light, Bud Light and Miller Lite) have been canned for decades.

That business decision led Oskar Blues Brewery to can all of their beers over the next ten years and the return of aluminum cans to the craft beer industry.

Due to rising national popularity of IPAs and hazy IPAs, four packs of 16 ounce cans were introduced in 2015-2016. Beer geeks are now able to pour a true pint of beer (16 ounces) in the comfort of their own home.

Crowlers National Spotlight

Craft Beer & Brewing magazine was founded in 2014 and they started detailed beer reviews in Crowler cans in 2017. I was curious why specialty/one-off beers were reviewed with minimal chance of purchasing for most beer geeks. That magazine was giving a glimpse into the future of craft beer take home vessels.

Invention of the Crowler Machine

The craft beer industry was turning towards cans for production use in 2013, when an employee at Oskar Blues Brewery, Jeremy Rudolf, started to design the first Crowler Machine in partnership with Ball Technology and Innovation Center. Mr. Rudolf’s idea was to utilize the Ball Corporation’s steel food cans sealer for large beer cans. If the machine worked in sealing aluminum cans, breweries wouldn’t need a temporary or permanent canning line to get fresh beer into consumer hands. Breweries could fill the large aluminum cans right on the spot for consumers to enjoy in a timely fashion.

Oskar Blues Brewery installed two machines in late 2013 and Crowlers sold at a quick pace. Breweries started inquiring about the new machine and Oskar Blues realized they had designed a product that was in demand. They partnered with Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry to fine tune the sealing machine and the Crowler Machine was born.

Market Growth of Crowler Machine

The growth of Crowler Machine sales and usage has been significant since introduction in 2013. 400 machines and 1,300,000 blank cans for filling sold in 2015. That is the equivalent of 21,000 kegs of craft beer, which is a crap ton of tasty beer. In 2017, 600+ Crowler machines were sold. Its hard to walk into a brewery or taproom in the Pacific Northwest that doesn’t have a Crowler Machine installed. A second manufacturer, Dixie Canner Company, designed and produced their own crowler machine that has had strong sales numbers.

Labeling Crowlers

Most breweries and taprooms use stickers for their Crowler cans, which are filled out by hand with the beer name, ABV % and fill date. I’m a fan of this old school approach to can marking. Breweries have developed their own Crowler cans with colorful/artful designs and labeling options (Modern Times, Stone Brewing, Reuben’s Brews to name a few). Crowlers have become art in the hand of the beer drinker.

Beer Buying Habits Changed in 2020

Due to the ways COVID-19 impacted my daily routine in 2020, I shifted from glass growlers and howlers being filled to exclusive use of Crowlers. I made this choice based on limited touching of the Crowler can only by the pourer and the associated sealing equipment with it. Growlers and howlers use hoses and caps during filling, which can lead to contamination. As I got use to this new method of beer purchasing, I wondered why I hadn’t focused on Crowlers sooner. Maybe I was too proud of my growler and howler collection, or I was stuck in a bad habit of getting 64 ounces of beer at a time.

Purchase Crowlers in 2021

Now that I’ve had time to reflect on beer buying habits to be more efficient in 2021, here’s the positives of using Crowlers instead of growlers:

• Cheaper, lighter and can keep beer fresher longer
• Impermeable to ultraviolet light and oxygen
• Recyclable
• One time use leads to less chance of contamination
• Easier to transport after purchasing
• Instant use and gratification
• Easier to split 32 ounces of beer with a family member or friend instead of 64 ounces

Evolution of Crowlers

Crowlers continue to evolve due to changing state Covid regulations in 2021. Most crowlers are 32 ounces in volume, but Minnesota has approved the use of 25.4 ounce crowlers for to-go orders. I tried a 25.4 oz crowler from Urban Family Brewing (Seattle, Washington), a perfect size for drinking fruited sour beers by yourself.

It would be interesting to see how Jeremy Rudolf’s brain was thinking in 2013 during the early steps of Crowler development and what his long term vision was. Not sure if he was contemplating the shear demand that would happen in 2020-2021. He currently has one of the coolest job titles as the “CANministrator” for Oskar Blues Brewery. Several breweries have already started to use screw on crowlers for immediate use by consumers (Bale Breaker Brewing Company). This also shows how the beer industry is evolving on a daily basis to get beer into consumer hands.

Sports and Beer – natural teammates

Ball Corporation is located in Westminster, Colorado which is northwest of Denver by 10 miles. The Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche use to play at the Pepsi Center Arena from 1999-2020, nicknamed the “Pepsi Can.” In late 2020, the Pepsi Center was renamed Ball Arena due to a change in corporate sponsorship. I’m hoping a beer geek creates the “Crowler Can” nickname. Dream big and consider crowlers in 2021.

Cheers and keep it classy everyday!

Definitions

• ABV% – alcohol by volume %
• Crowler – 32 ounce aluminum can of fresh craft beer for one time use
• Growler – reusable 64 ounce glass or stainless steel container of fresh craft beer
• Howler – reusable 32 ounce glass or stainless steel container of fresh craft beer
• Prowler – patrol car that needs a battery jump in the movie Fargo

More information about using Growlers can be found here.