GrowlerWerks uKeg 128 CU Growler, Copper

Product Information

Allison Wignall and Jason Horn are both The Spruce Eats staff writers who updated this roundup. Both have spent years writing about food, drink, and travel, and you can find their work featured in publications like Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Southern Living, Playboy, and Serious Eats. Between then and now there were several more iterations of the growler, including the modern-day, 64-ounce glass jug, which is credited to Charlie Otto, owner of Wyoming’s first draft-only microbreweries, Otto Brothers Brewery (now Grand Teton Brewing). In 1989, Charlie was looking for a way his patrons could bring his beer home, and it was his father who remembered the growlers from the time of his youth. Charlie stumbled upon half-gallon glass jugs, which were similar to moonshine jugs, and had his brewery’s logo silkscreened on the front, and the rest is recent history. The primary difference between the Growlerwerks uKeg 64 and the Growlerwerks uKeg 128 is their capacity. The uKeg 64 holds 64 ounces of beer, while the uKeg 128 holds 128 ounces. Even though stainless steel growlers do a far better job of keeping their contents cold than do glass versions, we've kept two of the latter for those who prefer the classic appeal of amber glass. These are the Amber Glass Half Gallon and the Euro 2-Liter. The Euro model has a large metal handle, while the former do not; it's also pricier, but with a more robust lid to make up for the higher cost.

Bottling and canning lines are designed to fill their respective vessels with beer for longer shelf lives. With growlers, the expectation is consumption will follow within days, so fancy counter-pressure systems are not as necessary with filling a growler. However, a good brewery or beer bar will take care when filling a growler. Once pressurized, the uKeg will hold bubbles for the whole time it keeps the beer fresh, thanks its keg-style tap that dispenses liquid without releasing the airtight seal. "I looooooove the GrowlerWerks uKeg," says The Spruce Eats General Manager Emma Christensen, an experienced homebrewer who's written three books on the topic. "It's easy to transport to a party or tailgating or whatever, and I also use it for carbonating things like kombucha or apple juice for DIY sparkling cider." Christensen has two uKegs of her own, both in the larger gallon size.There are two uKeg sizes: a 64-ounce (1/2 gal) model and a 128 oz (one gallon) model. Both sizes are available in either stainless or copper-plated, meaning you have a total of four options for the uKeg you choose. The benefits of the growler are plentiful. While their popularity waxed and waned in the past century, the resurgence of home brewing and the craft beer revolution have consumers considering growlers once again. The obvious advantage is that a growler allows you to take beer on the go. If you cannot commit to purchasing a keg of beer, but you demand a large volume, this is the best option. Also, some beers are only available on draft at a brewery. This is usually because the beer is a small batch or seasonal brew. This allows the consumer to have the brewery experience outside of the establishment.

VPR cap: automatically regulates pressure to optimally carbonate beer. Choose desired carbonation level, from zero (off) up to 15 psi. Carbonation-enabled growlers often give you control over the exact pressure of CO2, which lets you set the texture of the bubbles in the beer. A pressure of 10 to 12 PSI yields the normal level of bubbles you'd expect in a can of domestic lager, while higher pressure makes tiny, aggressive bubbles that can be more refreshing, and lower pressure makes a silkier beer. (You can also use nitrogen canisters in place of carbon dioxide to get the creamy head that's classic on a beer like Guinness.)

Candy for the beer nerd, the pressurized growler essentially takes the perfect pub pour on the road. This bad boy is copper plated and fit with an interchangeable tap handle, customizable pressure, corresponding gauge, and a sight glass to spot when you’re running low. It’s a great way to store and pour beer for long periods of time (up to two weeks) as well as a major talking point at any get-together where there’s some craft consumption. A growler, or a collection of growlers, will open up a world of new beers being brought to new experiences. By design, a growler is beer-to-go, and where that beer goes is nearly limitless thanks to the availability of interesting and technologically-advanced growlers. However, if it is just one or two beer fans enjoying a dinner or a game and a growler, that is just fine too. Joshua M. Bernstein, the author of this piece, has penned five books on the subject of beer, as well as articles for The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, Men’s Journal, and Imbibe. He interviewed three beer experts for this article. The uKeg growler by Growler Werks is a premium option compared to traditional growlers. It offers several key features that set it apart. Being an all-in-one system, it’s much more convenient than lugging around a separate CO2 tank and regulator

Keeps growler fills fresh and lets you dispense beer from a tap instead of the usual “lift and pour” method With craft beer still booming, loyal connoisseurs need new ways to transport their precious liquid to and from destination breweries. Voila! The beer growler is here for your beer storage and transportation needs. So just what is a growler? Read on and discover everything you need to know about beer growlers. Our staff homebrewing expert Emma Christensen also loves the Hydro Flask, but for shorter-term storage than the uKeg above. "This will keep your beer cold and fizzy for hours," she says. "It's great for camping or tailgating or anything where you want the beer to stay cold, but you’re planning to drink it within the day." I drank my Belgian IPA over the course of seven days to see how the carbonation would hold up. It was perfect! And there was even some juice to spare. It all began in the 19th Century, when ale drinkers needed away to transport beer home from the watering hole. As the suds moved around in transit, they growled, and the name was born. In the early 20th Century, “rushing the growler” was common, meaning kids would hit up the local pub for pails (growlers) of beer and bring them to workers during their lunch break or their parents come nightfall. Gradually, the technology got better, evolving from glass enclosures to plastic and, ultimately, pressurized ones.This convergence of form and function potentially marks the uKeg as a game-changer in the growler landscape, positioning it as a worthy investment for both seasoned and aspiring homebrewers.