You Squeal I Squeal We all Squeal for Squealers and Growlers
Dermott Dowling
Growing up in New Zealand it was common as you came of drinking age to head to the bottle shop normally attached to a local tavern or hotel or pub and Fill Your Own (FYO) 2.25 Glass “Flagon” or 2L Amber PET “Pub Pet”. There was also the option of a 12 x 750mL “Swappa Crate” of Amber Glass Bottles. FYO Glass and Returnable Glass Bottles or “RGBs” as they were known in the industry is by far and away the most environmentally sustainable beer packaging. If you did not have a crate in the boot of the car or a flagon to fill you could simply reach for a 2L Amber PET “Pub Pet” next to the fill station and FYO Pub Pet.
What happened to this environmentally responsible method of beer packaging? Well, beer became more widely available in other off premise retail outlets like Supermarkets and the big two breweries who dominated the market figured out they could generate more impulse purchases by moving away from “RGBs” and “FYOs” to one-way packaging - that is, disposable “stubbies” and “cans”. This form of packaging is not as environmentally friendly as “RGBs” or “FYOs” and it is high time that Australian Craft Brewers started to educate their customers about “Squealers” and “Growlers” and WHY? They are good for YOU! And the Environment! And Importantly Craft Brewers profitability!
So, what is a “Squealer” and a “Growler”. A Squealer is a 946mL 32oz Amber Glass Bottle With 38mm 400 Screw Neck and a Growler is a 2L 64oz Amber Glass Growler Bottle with 38mm 400 Screw Neck. Squealers are approximately 3 x 330mL Cans or Stubbies and Growlers are approximately 6 x 330mL Cans or Stubbies so lets think about them as 3 cans or a 6-pack to keep it simple for folks.
Next, the question is Why are Squealers and Growlers Good for YOU the Drinker? Well, firstly, they are filled off the tap with draught beer which is fresh and unpasteurised. Fresh beer is the best beer with a few exceptions (e.g. Barrel Aged Stouts, Sour Beers, etc) and well, beer is like Milk - Drink it Fresh is Best! The three great enemies of great beer are heat, light and oxygen and if you are filling your own Squealer and Growler off the tap at the brewery or bottle shop you are getting premium quality fresh draught beer! What more could you ask for? Well, you do also as a drinker care for the environment right? So, when you fill your own you are saving on energy, waste, and recycling. Remember the first R is Reduce and the second R is Reuse for a reason. The third R is Recycle so if you care about your environment and you care about your local craft brewery ask them to FYO Squealer or Growler. Put down that Six-Pack and reach for a Squealer or Growler and FYO!
Second, the question is Why are Squealers and Growlers Good for YOUR local craft brewery? Firstly, one way packaging costs money and lots of it! Many of our small craft brewery customers tell us they are paying up to $1 per printed can and even our larger customers tell us they are paying at least 50c per can before they even fill that can with beer. They also need to pay a Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) which is well over the 10c per can/bottle that we all receive at the recycling centre to cover administration costs (16c in Victoria) and not all of the cans and bottles are recycled so craft brewers are often losing a lot of money on the CDS as well. Next we come to the capital equipment cost to bottle or can your beer. Canning machines are expensive and cost a lot of money to maintain and run with labour costs. You also experience losses in the canning and bottling process and may need to pasteurise (heat treat) that beer to make it last longer in the package.
We have seen in other sectors of our economy that drinkers are more than willing to change their behaviour to help the environment, save some money and do the right thing. Take coffee for example, the KeepCup was a revolutionary Aussie innovation and cafes rewarded drinkers who brought their KeepCup with 50C off a cup of coffee or a similar discount to encourage Reduce and Reuse and reduce the amount of recycling and waste. Now is the time to get together as a herd of 650++ Craft Brewers and start having the conversation with drinkers at the bar and the bottle shop to put down that 4-pack or 6-pack and pick up a FYO Squealer or Growler. Drinkers want to support their local craft brewers and genuinely think they are when they buy cans to take away from the taproom or their local bottle shop. However, they are supporting their craft brewers even more if they FYO Squealer or Growler, especially if they do that directly at their neighbourhood brewery.
Why are they supporting local breweries more when they FYO Squealer or Growler? Well, not only is the brewery not paying a CDS they are also saving on Alcohol Excise Tax which is rated at $61.57 for full strength packaged beer sold in containers under 8 Litres and $43.39 (SAVE 30%) for beer sold in package over 8-48L and designed to connect to a pressurised gas delivery system or pump delivery system. Squealers and Growlers are filled from beer designed to connect to a pressurised gas delivery system and are allowed to be sold at the reduced excise rates applicable for draught beer.
Here at BeerCo.com.au we recommend Australian Craft Brewers seriously consider the Squealer and Growler to Go package options for their drinkers as the preferred Go To Package beer offer. We sell affordable unbranded Squealers and Growlers:
946mL 32oz Amber Glass Squealer Bottle With 38mm 400 Screw Neck
$56.95 inc GST for 12 with caps = $4.31 each exc GST
2L 64oz Amber Glass Growler Bottle With 38mm 400 Screw Neck
$42.95 inc GST for 6 with caps = $6.51 each exc GST
We would also encourage our Craft Brewery Customers to offer a deposit or rebate scheme or loyalty card similar to many cafe coffee cards to increase and drive drinker loyalty. For example, you can have a card or app that says FYO Fill Your Own Squealer or Growler 9 times and Get your 10 FYO Free! To change drinker behaviour it is everyone’s role to sell the sustainability and profitability story to drinkers so they can clearly understand the best way to do the right thing by themselves, the environment and to help their local independent craft brewery survive during a tough economy.
We encourage our Aussie Craft Brewery Customers to Get your friends in the friendship industry onboard like these guys in Aotearoa have:
https://www.againagain.co/uncompromising
Help reduce your alcohol excise tax burden by 30%, say goodbye to the onerous CDS, relax more when it comes to labelling, and just pour the freshest most profitable beer off the tap into takeaway or FYO or Swan N Go, just like a Gas bottle at the Servo, Squealers and Growlers! Well, what are you waiting for???
You Squeal, I Squeal, We all Squeal for Squealers and Growlers.
PS We are also posting a page of Breweries who offer FYO Squealers and Growlers. Let us know if your brewery is offering this service and we will add you to the page!
cheers #goSquealersandGrowlers
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