As the story goes, engineer Shawn Huff was trying to impress his girlfriend’s parents with a growler of Portland’s finest beer, only to present them with flat, tepid swill. That’s when he realized that the growler, in its present incarnation, was inadequate.
Along with two co-workers from the renewable energy start-up where he worked, Huff designed a pressurized growler. Basically, it’s a miniature keg that users can fill up at a brewery or growler station and use to pour their own draft beer from home. But unlike traditional growlers, which start to lose carbonation immediately after opening, GrowlerWerks’ uKeg growlers use carbon dioxide cartridges to keep the beer fresh and effervescent. And they look pretty darn cool.
After raising over $1.5 million on Kickstarter, the uKeg growlers became a reality. In this short video, Huff and company explain their utility, and how different breweries are utilizing them to create a better drinking experience.
