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Crowlers: a new way to take home beer

Posted at 5:35 PM, Nov 17, 2015
and last updated 2015-11-17 18:35:34-05

Downtown at Local on 9th and Douglas, Andrew Sullivan enjoys an afternoon brew. He's tasting his way through the Nebraska breweries. The restaurant and bar specializes in home state brews.

"This is Dundee scotch ale from the Upstream brewery," he says, pointing to his glass.

Now diners are taking home more than the doggie bag with their meal. Local is selling crowlers, or 32 ounce cans.

"It's part can and part growler, most people know a growler is a large vessel you take home with you," says Charlie Yin, partner at LOCAL.

The take home cans are equal to about two pints of beer, Bartenders go through a process of spraying water and carbon dioxide before filling the crowlers. Yin says that keeps from oxygen getting in, which spoils beer sooner. The cans also block out light, another spoiler. The crowlers are canned right at the bar.

The actual crowler cans are made by the same company that makes Ball mason jars, but local is giving some local business love to other businesses. Omaha design company Secret Penguin designed the label, and Cafe Diem, a local maker has built wooden take home crates for two, four, or six cans.

Sullivan is just taking home one, a Kinkaider pumpkin ale. He says it lets him travel, without leaving his locale.

"You can get every Nebraska (beer) here and compare them,"  he said.