Growlers Pub 2008 Spring Beer Menu Update
April 1, 2008 8:30 am Beer News
If I were to come up with another headline for this post, it would probably be, “American Brewers In, Unibroue Out!” Almost one half of the all the beers Growlers Pub is now offering on this Spring’s beer menu are brewed in the USA. Now this isn’t to say this is a bad thing, American brewers are some of the best in the world and are given more freedom than any other country in the world to brew any number of styles. I just thought it was worthy of mentioning.
The most disheartening thing about this newest list is the complete exclusion of Unibroue. One of the best breweries in Canada gets snubbed over a few more Pilsners added to the list.
I realize it’s summer, so I’m not advocating they add Maudite to the list, but Apple Éphémère or Blanche De Chambly would make wonderful summertime additions. Here’s the new selections:
Draught
- Samuel Adams Seasonal
- Schlafly No. 15
- New Belgium 1554
- Peroni
- New Belgium Mothership Wit
- Boulevard Dry Stout
- Samuel Adams Boston Lager
- Shock Top Belgian White Ale
- O’Fallon 5 Day IPA
Bottle:
- Miller High Life
- Flying Dog “Tire Bite”
- Abita Amber
- Retro Red American Amber
- North Coast Pranqster
- Ommegang Hennepin
- Samuel Adams Irish Red
- ODells Indian Pale Ale
- ODells 90 Schilling
- ODells East Street Wheat
- Breckenridge Avalanche
- O’Fallon Wheach
- Goose Island Honkers Ale
- Red Hook ESB
- Land Shark Lager
- Kona Longboard Lager
- Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale
- Boddington Pub Ale
- Paulaner Hefeweizen
- Paulaner Salvator Dopplebock
- Hofbrau Original Lager
- Wittekerke Witbier
- Lindemans Pomme
- Bavik Pilsner
- Carlsberg Lager
- Elephant Lager
- Zatech Pils
- Moretti La Rosa
Some quick thoughts: First, I don’t see it on their website, but is AB distributing Peroni now? The reason I ask is that I think I’ve seen it on draught at 3 or 4 restaurants I’ve been to recently. It’s not good enough to stand on it’s own, I assume it’s one of the type of beers to get a big marketing push as of recent. Also, I love a Belgian Wit as much as anyone, but do we really need 5 different Wits on the menu? Doesn’t that seem a bit high?
Good to see 5 Day IPA on draught, though I’ve heard that it wasn’t available at the Creve Coeur location the other day. Also nice to see Hennepin, but HOLY CRAP, they want $11.25 for it?! That’s outrageous, it’s one thing to charge $11.25 for Ommegang’s Three Philosophers, which carries a premium price at retail, but Hennepin doesn’t. In fact it’s usually about $5-6 bucks retail while 3P is about $9 bucks. That’s gouging at its finest and frankly, it’s pretty insulting. Though, I’m pretty sure Growlers doesn’t care about real beer enthusiasts anyway.
Tags: beer menu, growlers pub, spring
Sam H :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 8:44 am
Not much on this list gets me excited except the 5 Day, Pranqster, and Kona Fire Rock.
Not sure why, but Peroni and La Rosa seem to be being pushed hard, as well as Boddington and Carlsberg.
Dan D. :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 9:08 am
Wow, I think they’ve gone downhill over the last few years, but any place that even tries to be halfway serious about their beer list is going to have Unibroue on it.
But I agree, they’re not really trying to be serious. I’ll still go there, but not with the frequency I used to.
Dave :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 9:11 am
Peroni is an SABMiller brand, so it’s Summit. AB is getting the InBev brands.
BMock :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 9:19 am
Two comments:
First: I don’t know why Peroni would be put on tap anywhere, but it looks like it’s a SABMiller brand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peroni#Peroni_brewery
Second: After having some beers with AB-loving friends at the Bottleworks, I realized that we (exotic beer lovers…yes, I said exotic) may be a little too harsh on our local pubs. From my friends reactions, there are a lot of people are afraid to tread out of the fizzy yellow path. If they do jump off, they might be brave enough to have a Guiness, but that’s about it.
Mike :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 10:02 am
I’m by no means advocating the removal of the fizzy yellow lagers, all I’m saying is that if you’re going to pretend to be a restaurant that claims to not only have the best beer list but also care about beer, you can at least try.
Growlers sells more Budweiser/Bud Light than any other beer they offer. Does that mean that we need to be subjected to 15 or 20 more yellow pilsners?
I know we’re a small minority, which is why I’m not advocating changing the entire list to suit us. That doesn’t make them any money and doesn’t work in the long run. What I am advocating is someone to actually help design a list that doesn’t look like it was picked out of a hat.
BMock :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 10:21 am
I agree that any restaurant/bar that claims to have one of the top beer lists in a town of St. Louis’ size should be more willing to make an effort to get that list much closer to above standard.
Any restaurant that prides itself on a good beer list can easily find out what we want. I just don’t think they are taking pride in what they do. As long as the average restaurant can sell yellow fizzy beer and their mediocre food while turning a nice profit, it will be hard to convince them that they need change.
BTW - What connection does Growlers have with Sauce Magazine? Why does Sauce host their site?
Sam H :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
Doesn’t Growlers invite the people who have completed the beer tour 2 times and above to help select the new beers?
If they do, is this a situation where beer lovers are not participating or is Growlers simply not listening to the members?
Mike :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
It’s actually up to 5 cards. And you’re not given any choice in the beer selection, they line up 30 beers to taste blind and you make notes on each one.
But let’s be honest, most people with 5 cards are there because they like Growlers, not necessarily because they like beer. So they’re not the best judges.
Dan D. :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
Five cards????
I’m up to about 70 beers, and I can’t get much higher. I can’t imagine getting five filled cards there.
You’re right, you would have to just like Growler’s to do that. I wonder how much influence they actually have.
I should point out in my post above that if you’re serious about having a “large” list, you should certainly include Unibroue. There are good smaller lists without them.
Ric Sy :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
Thats a bummer, not really exciting at all. Looks like I’ll have to start picking up some of the slack
Derek Bean :
Date: April 1, 2008 @ 10:55 pm
Hey Guys, Peroni is an SAB product. This may go without saying, but Miller carries a lot of weight with their distributors and they have been extending some hefty sales incentives to their distribs. on Peroni draft. They basically want to try to elevate that brand to the level of say Heineken and Stella. And, as strange as it may seem to see it on tap at certain places, it really is much better on tap than Stella in my opinion.
In response to the above comment that “A-B is getting Inbev’s brands”, I’m not sure what Dave ment by that, as A-B has been importing the Inbev brands now for over a year. But, keep in mind that that doesn’t always mean those brands are distributed by A-B distribs. Locally, Summit distributes Stella and Becks (both Inbev brands) while the A-B distribs. distribute Boddingtons, Hoegarden, Lowenbrau, Staropramen, Bass (also Inbev brands).
As far as the pricing on the Hennepin, my guess is that they are mistakenly pricing it along with where 3 Philosophers used to be priced (since they both come from the same brewery) and haven’t realized the cost difference between those two brands.
As far as Pilsners go (the real kind, not the pale fizzy American variety), I urge you all to try that Zatek Pilsner (Czech); it’s really good! I bought a bottle from Randall’s a while back and was very pleased!
Dave :
Date: April 2, 2008 @ 6:09 am
As to my A-B comment, I was referencing the same deal you are. The brands are currently in transition, as you note (with the “transition” being very litigious in certain markets), and we’ll see what ultimately ends up moving where, and when.
Mike had simply asked in his post if Peroni was being distributed by A-B, and I pointed out that Peroni is SABMiller, but that his uncertainty may have arisen because A-B distros were getting some European brands via the InBev disto deal. C’est tout.
Thanks for the additional info on the “incentives” Miller is using.
Mike :
Date: April 2, 2008 @ 7:18 am
Yeah, I’ll be honest, with all of the distribution changes as of recent it’s kind of hard to track who’s doing what.
As for the Hennepin pricing, I have a difficult time believing it’s a mistake. They see a 750ml and they’re charging for it, regardless of what they’re actually paying for it.
Andy :
Date: April 2, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
I have always thought Growlers was alittle over priced and they don’t really TRY with their beer menu.
I went there the day before they changed over the new menu (mistakenly went there because I know they change it over in the spring and have alot of missing beers. I didn’t know when the official change over is). I noticed they finally had 3 Rogue beers. I was kinda excited. I know they were new additions to the fall menu change since they were bolded. I ordered the Rogue Red first…. out. Then I tried the Brutal Bitter…. out. Then I looked at the tap list. I saw Breckenridge 471 IIPA. OH MY! I was excited until I heard, “we’re out of that too.” And since I knew the new menu was coming out, NONE of those would be on it. SAD!
If they are out of a beer near the end of the 6month menu, just cross it out on the list. It’s not hard! They have to print up new menus anyway!
Atleast throw an Avery or LeftHand brew in there.
They took away the Trivia, but the food is good.
Paul :
Date: April 3, 2008 @ 10:16 am
I love the idea of Growler’s, especially when it’s nice enough to sit outside. But I also agree that their beer list is lackluster. In fact, there seem to be fewer beers than ever on tap that I am excited about drinking. Currently the 5 Day IPA is one of the exceptions–it was excellent on a recent visit for lunch. What makes Growler’s even more annoying is that the wait staff knows little or NOTHING about the beers. It’s not their fault. It’s because management doesn’t care enough about beer to train the servers in it. Enough said.