Benn Koppen Craft Beer landed in Port Elizabeth last year and now has opened a shop with a difference, dubbed the Growler Filling Station, in Walmer. The idea is simple: you take your growler – a thick glass bottle in one-litre and two-litre sizes – and refill it at the shop at 152 Main Road.
How it works
With kiln-roasted branding, the growler also has a super-seal stopper and should last for a month in the fridge, unopened. The beer stays fresh because the equipment used to fill the bottles is linked to CO gas which expels the oxygen. Once the brew has been downed, refill your growlers as needed.
The response so far
“Response to the concept has been fantastic,” says Jonathan Roche, the man behind the taps. “We are the first Growler Filling Station in Southern Africa.”
Taste it
The one-litre growler bottle retails for R130, a refill is R50, and there are four flavours to choose from: Cape Frontier Lager, Benn’s Blonde Ale, Krystall Weiss and Tyson Porter, giving an array of bitterness and alcohol content. Multiply the price by two for the 2-litre bottles. Tasters are served so you can be sure to like what you’re taking home. Simply put, this is fresh craft beer to go.
Lynn Roche, 082 778 0204
Words: Gillian McAinsh | Images: Mike Holmes
