Oregon Convenience Stores Meet Demand for Craft Beer with Growlers

Companies like the Growler Guys have made filling up with beer as convenient as pumping gas.

November 24, 2015

BEND, Ore. -- Several years ago, the Growler Guys convinced Oregon that convenience stores should be able to have beer taps for growler fills. The result has been a boon for the local craft breweries and convenience retailers, the Washington Post reports.

The Chevron in Bend, Oregon, has 30 taps that dispense beer or hard cider and six that dispense kombucha. The station, like many that offer growler fills, also provides tastings for customers to sample the selections before they buy.

Fueling the growler craze in this area is The Bend Ale Trail, touted as the “largest beer trail in the West” and boasting 16 breweries. That means Bend has one of the highest numbers of craft breweries per capita in the United States. Within its city limits reside around 81,000 residents—and 21 breweries, with seven more close by.

Convenience stores have been expanding their growler programs as states have begun loosening regulations to allow for such sales. In 2013, NACS Ideas 2 Go profiled the Stop and Go Mini Mart in Bend, which had an extensive beer and growler program.

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