Growlers are making beer drinking more like wine by storing fresh beer in a quantity intended for sharing.n the late 1800s and early 1900s, fresh beer was transported from  local pubs to the  home by using a galvanized pail. Rumor has it that as the beer sloshed around the pail, it created a rumbling sound as the carbon dioxide seeped through the lid, thus the term “growler”.
Prior to World War II, inner children hauled covered buckets of draft beer from local bars or breweries to workers on lunch break or home to their parents at dinnertime, a practice called “rushing the growler.”  Personally, I find the bottles really interesting and use my Starr Hill growler as a (gasp!) vase!

After a recent comment on the blog, I realized I’m leaving out a whole new generation of micro-breweries and the “Brew Ridge Trail” in Nelson County, VA is an excellent example of this trend.   Blue Mountain Brewery, Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Wild Wolf Brewing Company and Charlottesville’s/Crozet’s own Starr Hill Brewery are a few to not miss in Virginia.
There is a huge following of fans touring breweries on the weekends much like the wineries.  Events are now centered around these spots and eventually we’ll resemble Europe with their pubs and bierhallen. Dogs and children are welcome in Europe and families gather after soccer or rugby matches to relax in the countryside.  The Griffin Inn Free House in Fletching, East Sussex, UK is a model to strive for in our similarly scenic pastoral terrain, plus we have the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop.
Look for more posts as we “uncork”  beer as well as wine!