Regulating Growlers
The Effects of Expanded Retail Licenses
Executive Summary
Growlers, refillable containers used for carrying draft beer, are difficult to regulate. That is because they often violate the current alcohol regulation system that prevents individual actors from participating in multiple points of the production to retail process. As a result, different states permit entities to fill growlers, ranging from only breweries under a certain size, to any licensed liquor retailer. Analysis of other states demonstrates that New Hampshire has comparatively strict growler laws—only entities with a brewpub or manufacturer license can fill the containers. This paper will analyze the potential costs and benefits that would result from less restrictive laws regulating growlers.