A growler lets you take draft beer home from the brewery and drink it fresh. The catch is that beer goes flat and warm fast once it leaves the tap, so the right growler is the one that keeps it cold and carbonated for as long as you need. That ranges from a simple glass jug to a pressurised mini keg.
I have picked the growlers worth buying, from a rugged insulated flask to a carbonation-keeping uKeg, and set out how to choose. Every pick links to its page on the shop, and the boxes show the current price.
The best growlers, ranked
| Rank | Pick | Type | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanley Classic Easy-Pour Growler 64oz | Insulated stainless | Keeping beer cold on the way home | $57.00 |
| 2 | GrowlerWerks uKeg Carbonated Growler | Pressurized carbonated | Beer that stays fresh for weeks | $164.99 |
| 3 | Coleman 64oz Insulated Growler | Value insulated | Cold beer for less | $55.99 |
| 4 | YEBODA 32oz Amber Swing-Top Bottles | Glass swing-top | Bottling and short trips | $21.99 |
| 5 | GrowlerWerks uKeg Go | Portable pressurized | Fresh beer on the move | $125.99 |
The top picks at a glance
Swipe through the shortlist, then read the full write-up on any pick below.
What the top growlers cost
Growlers span a big price range, from a few dollars for glass swing-top bottles to well over a hundred for a pressurised system. The extra money buys carbonation and cold-holding. Here is what the shortlist costs.
The takeaway: if you drink a growler in a day, a simple insulated or glass one is plenty. If you want it fresh for weeks, a pressurised uKeg earns its price.
How to choose a growler
Three things decide which growler suits you. Match them to how you drink and the choice is easy.
- How long it needs to stay fresh. Draft beer goes flat fast. A basic growler is fine for the same day, an insulated one buys longer, and a pressurised system keeps beer carbonated for days or weeks.
- Material. Glass shows the beer and is cheap but breakable and lets light in. Stainless is rugged, insulated and light-proof, which protects the beer better.
- Size. 32oz suits one or two drinkers, 64oz is the classic growler fill for sharing. Match it to how much you drink before it goes off.
- Carbonation. Only pressurised growlers hold carbonation properly. A plain growler will go flat over a day or two no matter how well it is sealed.
Draft beer starts dying the moment it leaves the tap. A growler that keeps it cold and carbonated is the difference between fresh beer at home and a flat disappointment.
Dan Smullen, Beer Is My Life
Best Overall: Stanley Classic Easy-Pour Growler
Stanley built its name on rugged, insulated flasks, and this 64oz growler brings that to draft beer. The vacuum insulation keeps a fill cold for hours, the steel is light-proof and unbreakable, and the wide easy-pour lid makes serving simple. For most people taking beer home from the brewery, this is the one to buy.
- Vacuum insulated, keeps beer cold for hours
- Rugged, unbreakable stainless
- Light-proof to protect the beer
- Easy-pour lid for clean serving
- Does not hold carbonation like a pressurised system
- Hides the colour of the beer
Best Premium: GrowlerWerks uKeg Carbonated Growler
The uKeg is a mini pressurised keg, and it solves the one thing plain growlers cannot: it keeps beer carbonated and fresh for weeks, not hours. A CO2 cap maintains pressure and a tap dispenses on demand. It is an investment, but for a serious craft fan it turns a growler fill into a countertop draft system.
- Keeps beer carbonated for weeks
- Built-in tap dispenses on demand
- Vacuum insulated to stay cold
- A genuine gift centrepiece
- Expensive next to a plain growler
- Needs CO2 cartridges to run
Best Value Insulated: Coleman 64oz Stainless Growler
Coleman’s 64oz insulated growler does most of what the Stanley does for a little less. It is stainless, keeps a fill cold for hours and shrugs off the outdoors, which makes it a sensible value pick if you want insulation without paying flagship money. A dependable everyday growler.
- Insulated stainless keeps beer cold
- Rugged for camping and trips
- 64oz classic growler size
- Good value for the build
- No carbonation retention
- Basic lid compared with the Stanley
Best Glass Swing-Top: YEBODA 32oz Amber Bottles
For bottling your own beer or a short trip home, these amber swing-top glass bottles are cheap and do the job. The amber glass blocks light, the airtight flip caps seal well, and at 32oz they suit one or two drinkers. The pick if you want several small growlers rather than one big flask.
- Amber glass blocks light
- Airtight swing-top seal
- Cheap, and you get several
- Great for bottling homebrew
- Glass is breakable
- No insulation, drink it soon
Best Portable: GrowlerWerks uKeg Go
The uKeg Go is a lighter, more portable take on the pressurised growler, built to take fresh, carbonated beer to the park or the campsite. It keeps the carbonation of the full-size uKeg in a rugged, insulated body you can throw in a bag. The pick if you want pressurised beer on the move.
- Keeps beer carbonated on the move
- Rugged, insulated body
- Lighter than the full uKeg
- Built-in tap
- Still pricey
- Needs CO2 cartridges
Other growlers worth a look
A few more depending on how you use them:
- Sally’s Organics 32oz Amber Glass Bottles another set of amber swing-top bottles for bottling.
- True Fabrications 1/2 Gallon Brown Beer Growler a classic half-gallon brown glass growler.
- FastRack 1/2 Gallon Amber Growlers (Case of 6), 64oz a case of six 64oz amber growlers for bottling a batch.
Which growler should you buy?
For most people the insulated Stanley is the sensible buy, or the Coleman if you want to spend less. If you want beer to stay fresh and fizzy for weeks, the GrowlerWerks uKeg is worth the money, with the uKeg Go for taking it out. And for bottling your own beer, a set of amber swing-top bottles is all you need.
Browse the full range on the growlers page, or see the parent beer gadgets section for more.
Growler FAQs
How long does beer last in a growler?
In a plain growler, draft beer stays good for about a day or two before it goes flat, and less once opened. An insulated growler keeps it cold longer, while a pressurised system like the uKeg can keep beer carbonated and fresh for a couple of weeks.
Glass or stainless growler, which is better?
Stainless is more durable, insulated and light-proof, so it protects the beer better and survives being dropped. Glass is cheaper and lets you see the beer, but it is breakable and lets in light, which can affect flavour.
How do you keep beer carbonated in a growler?
Only a pressurised growler holds carbonation properly, using a CO2 cap to maintain pressure. With a plain growler, fill it to the top to minimise air, seal it tight, keep it cold and drink it within a day or two.
What size growler should I buy?
A 32oz growler suits one or two drinkers who will finish it quickly. The classic 64oz fill is better for sharing, but only if you will drink it before it goes flat. Match the size to how fast you drink.
