Refillable Beer Jugs: It’s Growler Time

By Lisette Johnson

There’s a handful of celebrated brew houses across the country where customers can buy refillable growlers of their favorite tap beer. There’s the Trinity Brewhouse in Providence, RI; Austin, TX is home to the NXNW Restaurant and Brewery; even South Carolina has the Charleston Beer Exchange. And now, right here in Williamsburg, beer snobs and beer geeks alike can snag a refillable growler at the famous Duane Reade brewery. Duane Reade?

When the pharmacy giant opened its newest Williamsburg location at 250 Bedford Avenue last year, it was amid debate about corporate responsibility and the inevitable demise of mom and pop shops—a crucial part, thought many, of Williamsburg’s unique charm. Angry Yelpers changed their tune last November when Duane Reade’s liquor license was approved and the store pioneered its “Brew York City” counter. For $3.99 customers can purchase a branded growler and have it filled for an additional $7.99. A sign on the store door proudly announces “we sell locally brewed beers here.” In addition to Kelso, Brooklyn Brewery, and Sixpoint, Duane Reade sells Blue Point (brewed on Long Island) and Lake Placid (brewed upstate).

Williamsburg resident Jai Lennard welcomes the development. Lennard doesn’t shop at the new store often, “probably once a week, and only for the new growlers that they sell,” he said. “It’s 64 ounces of beer for around $8! That’s almost a six-pack,” he said, at a quarter of the price. “It’s really nice to pour yourself a pint of beer at home. Brew York City is about tapping into local vendors and bringing a better quality and experience of beer to the home.” And no, he jokes, he’s not a Duane Reade employee.

Lennard doesn’t think that these new growlers will affect the many beer-selling bodegas on the block. “No one wants to bring over their growler to parties,” he said. “Young beer drinkers are still going to buy six-packs because it simply makes sense.” Local bodega owners corroborate Lennard’s thought—none have noticed a significant change in business since Duane Reade began selling beer on tap. The awning of Bedford Exotics, at the corner of Bedford and North 6th, boasts that the pipe-selling bodega also sells craft beer, appealing to the same consumer that would be interested in a Duane Reade growler. But Fakhrut Islam hasn’t noticed any change in business—other than the nor-mal winter slow. “We give cheap beer,” he said, and adding that while Duane Reade will affect sales of medicine and beauty products, it won’t matter for beer sales. “King’s Pharmacy—forget it,” he said, but “we sell Brooklyn Lager for $10, cheaper than everybody. Every day I sell beer,” he said, and six-pack sales haven’t been affected by the offer-ings of their new corporate neighbor. “If they sell it for $10, we’ll sell it for $9.75,” he said.

Because Duane Reade was awarded a selling and not a serving license, Community Board One (serving Williamsburg and Greenpoint) was not privy to the approval process. According to New York State Liquor Authority spokesperson William Crowley, any liquor store permit or serving license must be run by the local board, but selling licenses are not. “It’s usually serving licenses that face more community debate,” he said, be-cause of issues like noise. Tastings are permitted under a selling license, provided that they are administered by a licensed brewer and not a Duane Reade employee. The Bedford Duane Reade hosts tastings three or four times a month. Selling licenses do, however, come with the same type of responsibilities as a serving license, said Crowley. Duane Reade risks revocation if they serve to a minor or the visibly intoxicated.

Despite the buzz that Duane Reade has generated with their selling of growlers, they’re not the only store in the neighborhood that does. In fact, because customers must use a Brew York City-brand growler, it’s not as good a deal as some other places. Barbecue favorite Fette Sau offers growlers that can be delivered alongside ribs. The Khim’s Millennium Market at 460 Driggs sells growlers for $5 a pop and refills them for $15.99. It’s pricier, but customers can use any growler—it doesn’t have to be a Khim’s brand. Urban Rustic, at 236 North 12th, not only sells growlers to fill with local beer, they offer Kombucha on tap as well. It’s $10 to fill a growler with Kombucha, and beer prices range from $10 to $20 with a $4 growler deposit. This month, Pennsylvania brewery Victory is featured on the Urban Rustic tap, culminating in a Victory Beer Night slated in March. In Greenpoint, Eastern District, a food shop specializing in American craft beers and cheeses, sells the growler for $5 and refills $10-$20; their features are in constant rotation. On Graham Avenue, Quechol Natural Food Market offers a rotation of beers on tap, $4 for the jug, $16.99 to refill, with limited-time specials on Dog Fish ($13.99) and He’brew ($9.99).

If you’re looking to cut down on beer costs and recyclables, growlers are the way to go. If you’re concerned about a corporate giant sneaking into the neighborhood by wooing customers with neighborhood-specific interests like local beer, fill your bottle at one of the other local growler destinations. Either way, beer is here to stay. And not just at Duane Reade.