A little while ago The Isle of Arran Brewery introduced a new Growler Filler to its shop in Cladach. Grant funding was administered by Zero Waste Scotland and provided by the Scottish Government and European Regional Development Fund
What are Growlers? Growlers are large, re-usable bottles. Originally they were covered pails used for people to take beer home from pubs at closing time. The name “Growler” comes from the sound made by the carbon dioxide rattling the lid as it escaped from the beer as it sloshed around inside the pail.
Why has Arran Brewery decided to install a Growler filler? In March this year we were awarded a grant by the Island Green Recovery Programme, funded by Zero Waste Scotland and the Scottish Government, for two projects, one of which was our growler filler. We took the decision to install one as an environmental initiative, to reduce our packaging usage.
What impact do Growlers have on the environment? As Growlers are larger than standard beer bottles and are re-usable, Growler owners/renters are able to have their Growler filled multiple times without the need to recycle glass, which, although better than producing virgin glass, is still a high energy process. As a business which is always trying to reduce its environmental impact and carbon footprint, Arran Brewery finds this very appealing.
How does the Growler filler work? From your point of view, it’s very easy. You bring your Growler to the Isle of Arran Brewery Shop (or rent one from us), we wash it then fill it. The whole process only takes a few minutes and you don’t pay for the glass bottle, the labels or the crown caps which are normally part of the price of bottled beer.
Can I get my growler filled anywhere other than the Isle of Arran Brewery shop in Cladach? Currently the Brewery Shop in Cladach is the only place where you will be able to get your growler filled with Isle of Arran Beer. We are, however, looking to expand this service to two further outlets on the island and are looking for recommendations from islanders as to where these might be located.
Where can I find out what beers are available from the growler filler? You can always come into the shop and ask. We will also be publishing the available beers in our monthly newsletter, Milestone, which you can sign up for through our website.
So come on over to the Brewery shop to have a taste of the draught quality beer that you can enjoy at home. What’s more, the first 10 people to come into the brewery shop with an original copy of this article will receive a free 1 litre growler!*
*Free growler does not include beer. Maximum one per person.
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Press release from Isle of Arran Brewery
Contact: chris@arranbrewery.co.uk