Flanked by liquor store and Delaware craft brewery owners at Fordham & Old Dominion Brewing companies in Dover, Governor Jack Markell last week signed into law House Bill 31.
One north Wilmington liquor store, Peco’s, is expected to open its growler section at 4 p.m. on Friday.
The measure allows Delaware liquor stores to fill and sell growlers of draught beer on site. A growler is a glass or ceramic jug filled with draught beer, typically sold in a half gallon size. Until now, craft breweries were limited to selling growlers at their breweries or brewpubs. Neighboring states Pennsylvania and New Jersey already allow liquor stores to sell growlers Maryland’s law is on county-by-county basis.
The signing came during American Craft Beer Week.
Breweries often produce draught beer varieties that are only available at their brewery or brewpub, which limits craft beer drinkers’ ability to purchase certain varieties. By allowing liquor stores to sell growlers, bill sponsor, Rep. Debra Heffernan said that Delaware’s small craft breweries will be able to expand their market and reach more customers, while liquor stores will be able to compete with their counterparts in neighboring states.
According to the Brewers Association, craft brewers and brewpubs provide nearly 110,000 jobs in the U.S. Delaware ranks 10th in the nation in the ratio of breweries to population, with nine operations in all three counties.
The Delaware Brewers Guild estimates that state craft brewers produced about 250,000 barrels of beer last year. Much of that production came from Dogfish Head and Fordham & Dominion Brewing.
“We are excited that the growlers will allow us to share draft-only beers, that had been previously only available to bars, with many of our loyal drinkers,” said Jim Lutz, CEO of Fordham & Dominion Brewing. “We appreciate the community that comes along with these. Not only do they connect us to beer history, they provide us a means of commemorating special occasions.”
Under House Bill 31, liquor stores will be able to purchase a growler filler permit for $150 every two years, allowing them to fill, cap and sell growlers to go.
Delaware is expected to issue growler filling permits in late May or early June.
