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Author Topic: Petition to Change California Growler Law  (Read 10589 times)

Offline skyler

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Petition to Change California Growler Law
« on: July 11, 2011, 01:55:25 pm »
I am not sure where this petition originated, but I imagine most of you would agree with the cause. In California, a weird law requires a brewery to only fill a growler that they sold. That means that you can't get Stone beer in a Sierra Nevada growler or your own unmarked growler. It is annoying and weird to have to have the specific growler, and this petition wants to create a statewide growler that would work everywhere in California.

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/CaliforniaGrowlers

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2011, 02:26:22 pm »
I'd buy a Carowler just for the novelty.

Or would that be a Califrowler?
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline tom

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2011, 03:19:28 pm »
In Colorado it's due to the labelling of the container.  They just slap a sticker over the other brewery's name.
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Offline scooter2374

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2011, 04:35:42 pm »
NJ is just as bad. The ABC here can't get it's story straight as it tells some bars/restaurants that they can't fill growlers at all while telling others that it's quite OK. One guy I talked to had a lawyer look into it and his findings seem to state that any place that sells beer on tap can fill any growler. It's maddening.
« Last Edit: July 13, 2011, 09:32:16 am by scooter2374 »
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Offline sailortodd

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2011, 06:31:13 pm »
interesting idea, but making a "Califrowler" causes marketing problems for the breweries, doesn't it? Not being able to display their own label on their own product could be an issue the breweries will have. I'm all for being able to use X growler at Y brewery, but mandating a statewide growler be used is kind of odd.
Beer: so much more than just a breakfast drink.

Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2011, 08:52:53 pm »
I would not want to have someone else beer in my growler.
For me as a brewer it is marketing advantage.
I ask for deposit on growler and I refund the returns.
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Offline sailortodd

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2011, 01:50:04 pm »
I ask for deposit on growler and I refund the returns.
That sounds like an awesome way to do things. If the breweries I've visited did that, I wouldn't have half a dozen growlers kicking around (well, maybe).
Beer: so much more than just a breakfast drink.

Offline micsager

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2011, 02:43:55 pm »
I ask for deposit on growler and I refund the returns.
That sounds like an awesome way to do things. If the breweries I've visited did that, I wouldn't have half a dozen growlers kicking around (well, maybe).
I just put hooks on the ceiling of my brewery, and hang them all up.  I've got about 40.  (so far)  And even the first of the modern day growlers.  From Otto Brothers.  At least the claim to be the first on their website. 

Offline rabid_dingo

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2011, 01:19:18 am »
Why does it have to have a proprietary label on there. Let's say I buy one of those fancy SS growlers that showed up
Like these: Zythos Project

If I spend the money for a nice and shiney SS Brauler, I don't want any stickers on there gumming up the works.

Some laws don't make sense to me... :-\
Ruben * Colorado :)

Offline weithman5

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2011, 06:45:02 am »
most laws dont make sense
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Offline skyler

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2011, 12:19:58 pm »
It is especially odd because this is a state where you can buy hard liquor from any grocery store or convenience store (sometimes the ones attached to gas stations), 7 days a week, from 6 am to 2 am. But you can't take your Rogue growler to get filled at Green Flash. While a couple of breweries up here in the bay area will slap a sticker on the cap, many of the breweries I hav visited would only fill their own growlers because "it's California State Law." I hate stuff like this.

Offline tankdeer

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2011, 12:35:37 pm »
That doesn't make it especially odd. It's exactly as stated, a labeling thing. Buy/sell laws of hard liquor are totally different. Having grown up in California, I'll still getting used to having to go to a liquor store to get spirits. But at least when you do, the label on the bottle reflects the contents of it - and that's what the law is enforcing.

While I agree it's dumb to not be able to fill blank, unmarked growlers, I do understand not being able to fill other brewery's growlers, and if I was a brewer, I would probably support that. I wouldn't want to put my beer into another brewer's growler. And as I'm sure you're realizing, it's not strictly a California thing. Most states' ABC has a similar law.
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Offline micsager

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2011, 03:02:52 pm »
I do understand not being able to fill other brewery's growlers, and if I was a brewer, I would probably support that. I wouldn't want to put my beer into another brewer's growler.

As long as someone was actually paying my cold hard cash for my beer, I wouldn't care what they put it in.  I would be greateful for the $10.

Offline rabid_dingo

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2011, 02:34:52 am »
I do understand not being able to fill other brewery's growlers, and if I was a brewer, I would probably support that. I wouldn't want to put my beer into another brewer's growler.

As long as someone was actually paying my cold hard cash for my beer, I wouldn't care what they put it in.  I would be greateful for the $10.

I think that is key. Something along the lines of, "Please share your good thoughts on our beer with others..."
Hell, I'd be ok with shrink wrap plastic on the growler. Much easier to get off....
Ruben * Colorado :)

Offline a10t2

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Re: Petition to Change California Growler Law
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2011, 07:13:34 am »
I'm not sure what they're hoping to accomplish with this petition, given that it's a federal law: http://www.ttb.gov/beer/beer-faqs.shtml#b9
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