Today is the day that craft beer lovers in Florida have been waiting for. Beginning July 1, 2015, as signed into law by the governor of Florida, breweries in the state can legally fill and sell beer to go in the 64-ounce containers known as growlers.
The issue had been the source of a legal battle for years, led ostensibly by large brewing companies that felt threatened by the competition from smaller, so-called craft brewers.
Winter Park’s Cask & Larder, which has a large brewing facility on site, is among the first in the state to offer to fill growers for thirsty consumers. A growler is a reusable container that holds up to 64 ounces, or about a half gallon, of beer. Consumers take their growlers to their favorite craft brewer to have them refilled.
C&L is offering the refill service beginning Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. with its popular Citra Hopped IPA ($15) and Lone Palm Golden Ale ($12). Consumers must bring their own growlers; there is a two-growler limit. Cask & Larder will sanitize the growlers before filling them, a process that takes approximately 10 minutes. The restaurant’s brewing staff recommends that the beers be kept cold, so take along an ice chest, and that the brews be consumed within two days of filling. After today, C&L will offer growler fills only on Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m. with beer offerings rotating weekly.
Cask & Larder is at 565 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park.
