It’s been over a year since we last published a list of places in Columbus where you can buy and refill growlers. It’s a popular search query on Drink Up Columbus, so we wanted to share an updated list.
A brief introduction to growlers for the uninitiated: a growler is a half-gallon glass jug that is filled with beer. It’s eco-friendly (no waste created), it’s fresh (straight from the keg) and it’s usually about the same price or cheaper than a six-pack of quality craft beer. Beer will stay fresh in a sealed growler for 7-10 days (some claim a lot longer with proper refrigeration and some electric tape around the cap). After opening you should plan to empty in one evening, though I’ve enjoyed some growlers up to two days after opening.
So with that, here’s a list of breweries, bars and retail shops in Central Ohio where you can currently fill a growler. Some places will fill growlers, but don’t actually sell the glass jugs. And other places will not fill a growler that was purchased elsewhere. And while some claim it is illegal to fill a growler that is not labeled with the brewery/bar where it was filled, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control assured me that it was not illegal. I tried to note the fill-only and fill-own-only businesses.
Barley’s Smokehouse & Brewpub
1130 Dublin Road, (614) 485-0BBQ, barleysbrewing.com
Growler hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-12pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday 12-11pm
Note: will only fill their own growlers
Barley’s Brewing Company (Ale House No. 1)
467 North High Street, (614) 228-ALES, barleysbrewing.com
Growler hours: Monday-Friday 11am-2am, Saturday-Sunday 12pm-2am
Note: will only fill their own growlers
Barrel and Bottle
59 Spruce Street, (614) 221-5550, northmarket.com
Growler hours: Monday 9am–5pm, Tuesday-Friday 9am-7pm, Saturday 8am-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm
BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse
5141 Tuttle Crossing and 1414 Polaris Parkway, bjsbrewhouse.com
Growler hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday 11am-1am, Saturday 10am-1am, Sunday 10am-11pm
Buckeye Lake Brewery
5176 Walnut Road (Buckeye Lake), (614) 464-BREW, buckeyelakebrewery.com
Growler hours: Monday-Thursday 4-10pm, Friday 3-11pm, Saturday 1-11pm, Sunday 1-9pm
Note: will only fill their own growlers, but will trade you another growler for one of theirs
Columbus Brewing Company
525 Short Street, (614) 464-BREW, columbusbrewingco.com
Growler hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday 5pm-11pm
Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus
161 North High Street, (614) 228-0500, elevatorbrewing.com
Growler hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-12am, Friday 11am-2am, Saturday 5pm-2am
Four String Brewing Co
985 W. 6th Avenue, (614) 725-1282, fourstringbrewing.com/
Growler hours: Thursday 5-7pm, Saturday 12-2pm
Fourth Street Bar & Grill
1810 North 4th Street , (614)291-1420, http://fourthstreetpatio.com/
Growler hours: Monday-Sunday 12pm-2:30am
Gordon Biersch
401 N. Front Street, (614) 246-2900, columbusbrewingco.com
Growler hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-1am, Sunday 11am-10pm
House Wine
644 High Street, 614-846-WINE, housewine.biz
Growler hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm
Note: will fill growlers but does not sell glass jugs
Mad Mex
1542 North High Street, (614) 586-4007, madmex.com
Growler hours: Monday-Sunday 11am-2am
Neil House Brewery
372 Morrison Rd, (330)-936-7467, neilhousebrewery.com/
Growler hours: Wednesday 11am-5pm, Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 11am-5pm
Old Bag of Nails
Multiple locations, oldbagofnails.com
Growler hours: Locations vary
Park Street Tavern
501 North Park St, (614) 221-4099, parkstreettavern.com
Growler hours: Monday-Friday 3pm-2am, Saturday-Sunday 12pm-2am
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus
240 East Kossuth Street, (614) 444-6808, schmidthaus.com/
Growler hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10pm, Friday and Saturday 11am-11pm
Studio 35
3055 Indianola Avenue, (614) 261-1581, studio35.com
Growler hours: Monday-Friday 6:30-11:30, Saturday 6:30pm-12:30am, Sunday 6:30-11:30 pm
Whole Foods
1555 West Lane Avenue, (614) 481-3400, wholefoodsmarket.com
Growler hours: Monday-Sunday 9am-9pm
World of Beer
503 South Front Street, (614) 224-1962, brewerydistrict.wobusa.com
Growler hours: Monday-Sunday 9am-9pm
Note: will fill growlers but does not sell glass jugs
Zauber Brewing Co
1300 Norton Ave, (614) 205-1304, zbeers.com
Growler hours: Thursday-Saturday, 4-8pm
Expect an updated list again in a few months when Actual, Bru, Hoof Hearted and Seventh Son get going, as all plan to offer regular growler hours. And I expect a few more bars and retail shops will join the bandwagon, too.
21 Comments on "Growlers in Columbus 2: Electric Boogaloo"
While it is a bit inconvenient for the consumer to have a growler to each location, for those making their own beer (breweries and brewpubs), I can see why only filling their own growlers makes good marketing sense.
I totally respect the decision to want your beer to be properly labeled. The whole “claiming it’s illegal” part is unnecessary (and clearly untrue.)
I’d certainly heard that before, but not from anyone in particular. It may be illegal in other states and that idea has carried over?
Awesome list!
Will start visiting each place to see what’s offered.
Thanks for the write-up!
I recently got Barley’s Smokehouse to fill my Whole Foods growler, where I have been refused in the past. I just brought it in and asked after I ate dinner. Not sure if it was just a sympathetic bartender or if they changed their policy.
You can fill them up at Brews as well. They require their growlers.
cool, thanks!
In upstate New York in Dec 2012 at the Naked Dove Brewery they have a collection of growlers from other breweries. I brought an empty growler back and would like to exchange it at a local Columbus brewery for one of theirs. Do you know if any Columbus breweries that handle growlers are doing this?
There is one brewery just outside Columbus, Buckeye Lake Brewing, that does that.
Unfortunately Neil House is no longer in business…
I just took my growler to Old Bag of Nails in Gahanna where I was told they only fill their own. The bartender did, however, tell me that for one day at the end of the month, the growlers are free – you buy the contents, of course.
I just spoke with the bartender at Bru and they fill growlers during any business hours (and don’t require their own). It’s $15 for their $5 beers, $16 for their $6 beers, and $17 for their $7 beers, so still cheaper than drinking there, but also pretty pricey.
Hi Cheryl,
I noticed our phone number was incorrect. The number at the brewery is 740-535-6225.
Thanks,
Rich Hennosy
Buckeye Lake Brewery
fixed, sorry