See Also: Ten Favorite Places in Metro Phoenix for Craft Beer by the Bottle (or the Can)
Last week, Arizona's brand new growler laws went into effect. As we explained here, Arizona beer nerds can now take home 64oz of their favorite draft beer from some of their favorite craft beer watering holes.
The operative word, however, is some. A few of our coveted craft beer go-to spots that have licenses are classified as restaurants and cannot sell you beer to go.
Here's how the actual law reads:
A BAR, BEER AND WINE BAR, LIQUOR STORE, BEER AND WINE STORE OR DOMESTIC MICROBREWERY LICENSEE WHO DISPENSES BEER ONLY IN A CLEAN GLASS CONTAINER WITH A MAXIMUM CAPACITY THAT DOES NOT EXCEED ONE GALLON AND NOT FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISES
So if you are technically a restaurant that serves beer and not a bar that serves food, you're out of growler luck.
There are still plenty of places to get those growlers filled but first let's go over three very important rules.
Rule Number One -- you absolutely cannot purchase a growler for $12 and then proceed to drink it at the bar. You MUST to take it home.
Rule Number Two -- No dirty growlers. You cannot bring in your dirty-ass growler and expect your awesome bartender to fill it up. This should be common sense but there's always that one guy out there that's going to bring in his rank smelly growler without a second thought.
(There are three reason why you need to clean your growlers, guys...
1. You don't want to contaminate the bar with whatever has decided to make its home in your growler.
2. You don't want to contaminate your new beer.
3. You don't want to get sick from said contaminated beer.
All you have to do is give it a good rinse with really hot water and then dry it upside down. And make sure you get wash the cap. Easy! But if your growler does happen to need more than a good rinse, check out our friend at Beer PHXation's extensive guide to getting you know your growler right here.)
Rule Number Three -- Don't forget to tip your bartender. Just because you are taking it home doesn't mean he didn't pour it for you. Throw him a buck or two for filling your jug.
Now that you know the rules, here's where you can get your clean growler filled and how much you can fill it for.
O.H.S.O. -- $12 -- Buy one of their growlers for $5 or bring your own. O.H.S.O.'s down to fill your growler with anything they have on tap. Keep an eye on Facebook for growler specials. TT Roadhouse -- $ 16 - $25 -- The bartenders here will fill any clean growler with any of their draft beers. The bar will be getting their own growlers sometime next week, which will cost you $8.
Papago Brewing Company -- Prices vary-- Any clean growler (theirs are $8) with almost anything on tap. Some beers won't be available like, say, if they tap a keg of Dogfish Head 120 Minute. That's not going in a growler. Taste of Tops -- $12 for the 16oz menu / $18 for the 10oz menu -- Like Papago, any clean growler (although the Taste of Tops growlers are pretty cool looking, so you might be tempted) with almost any beer.
Flanny's Bar & Grill -- $12 and up -- Clean growler, any label, some exceptions.
Whole Foods Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Raintree, and Paradise Valley -- $8 - $14 for 32oz, $12-24 for 64oz -- All the Valley Whole Foods will fill their growlers ($4) with all of their draft beers except the stuff on the nitro taps. Be on the lookout for sweet sales on their jugs o' beer.
Yucca Tap Room -- These guys are still on the growler fence. Currently they are NOT filling growlers but they may in the future. We'll keep you updated.
