Melbourne beer: Where you can get growlers in the outer east during lockdown

They’ve become a hot accessory for beer lovers in lockdown and helped microbreweries in the outer east stay afloat. Here’s where you can grab a growler near you.

Growlers full of beer are being lapped up by the thirsty punters and keeping businesses operating.

With Melbourne’s lockdown dragging on, a humble glass bottle has become a saviour for microbreweries to stay afloat and craft beer lovers to continue getting their fix.

Growlers, and their smaller cousins Squealers, have become a staple of takeaway beer offerings at venues across the outer east.

Staff fill the bottles, typically one litre or two litres in size, with tap beer for customers to take home and enjoy.

And after initially purchasing the bottles, customers can clean them out, bring them back and get cheap refills of their favourite beers.

Here’s your one-stop guide of some of the best brewers in the outer east where you can fill up on your favourite ales.

HARD ROAD BREWING

Holloway Drive, Bayswater

This microbrewery in Bayswater’s industrial area opened in late 2019 and is serving up beer from 20 different taps, most of which are made on site.

The range includes its vanilla-flavoured stout, two different pale ales and lager, along with Angry Cock cider from the Yarra Valley and a ginger beer from a Bendigo brewer.

Co-founder Brad Merritt said the brewery originally didn’t have a canning machine when the pandemic hit, and had to turn to growlers as it was its “only way of selling beer”.

He said the brewery was now doing hundreds of refills a week, priced between $12 and $22, and selling one litre squealer bottles for $8 and two litre growlers for $10.

“People absolutely love them … it’s a great way of taking a bit of us home,” he said.

Opening hours: Thursday-Sunday, 3pm-6pm.

THE PUBLIC BREWERY

Lacey St, Croydon

The Public Brewery's Andrew Croucher and Gab Porto have encouraged customers to bring their own bottles — whatever the size — for beer refills. Picture: Kiel Egging.

This popular venue, voted by readers as Maroondah’s favourite bar earlier in the year, recently rebranded its light beer to honour premier Dan Andrews.

It also has been keen to quench beer lovers’ thirsts during lockdown, occasionally allowing locals to bring in their own bottles (whatever the size) to be filled up with beer for $10 per litre.

Alternatively, you can get a one litre growler bottle off them for an extra $2.

The beers on offer includes its core range and other speciality beers including its smashed avo sour beer and coffee-infused porter.

Opening hours: Wednesday-Sunday, Noon-7pm.

8 TRACK BREWERY

Yallourn Parade, Ringwood

Trent Hislop's 8 Track Brewery has eight beers on tap which can be taken home in their generously-sized growlers. Picture: Kiel Egging.

This long-awaited microbrewery near Heatherdale railway station finally opened its doors at the start of the month.

It has eight homemade beers on tap including a Czech pilsner, an Australian-themed pale ale, a hazy IPA and a coffee-flavoured dark lager.

They are offering two types of growlers which can hold two litres of beer — a glass one for $10 or a fancy stainless steel variety for $30 to keep your beer extra cool.

Refills range from $23-$28.

Opening hours: Thursday-Saturday, 1pm-5pm.

PROJECT BREWING CO

Laser Drive, Rowville

Rowville locals can get their beer fix — and maybe a tasty burger while they’re at it — at this family owned microbrewery.

Project Brewing Co opened in June 2019 and is owned by husband and wife Brayden and Caitlin Beggs.

They have nine beers on tap including sour varieties and an oatmeal IPA, which you can get filled up for $12.50 a litre.

If you don’t have a growler or squealer, you can grab one of theirs for $8 (one litre) or $10 (two litres).

On Friday nights, food truck Burgerchiefs, who were voted as the best burger outlet in Knox earlier this year, offers its tasty treats in the carpark as well.

Opening hours: Thursday-Saturday, 4pm-7pm, Sunday, Noon-3pm.

HOP HEN

Beresford Rd, Lilydale.

This Lilydale microbrewery is also on the growler bandwagon and delivering them to locals’ front doors.

Hop Hen offers a 1.89-litre glass growler which you can buy for $20, and then get filled with one of its seven tap beers for another $22.

After that, you can get your refills in a fresh growler for $22 each, just by swapping over your empty one.

You can get it filled up at the brewery, or the Hop Hen crew will deliver it to you for free between the northeast and southeast of Melbourne.

Just leave your old growler out the front for them to collect.

Opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday 3pm-6pm, Friday 2pm-7pm, Saturday and Sunday 1pm-5pm.

HARGREAVES HILL BREWERY

Beresford Rd, Lilydale

Established in 2004 and rebuilt again after the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, this brewery has a special place in the hearts of Yarra Valley beer lovers.

They have selected beers on tap for refills on Friday afternoons, including their two pale ale varieties, and their own branded two litre growlers are available for $12.

Opening hours: 3pm-6pm Fridays.

KILLER SPROCKET

Bayswater Rd, Bayswater North

Tucked away down a gravel road next to a garden supplies shop and the Melbourne Muscle gym, this husband-and-wife owned microbrewery has been quietly operating out of a small factory since late 2019.

The Killer Sprocket crew have four beers on tap to choose from, an IPA, a tropical pale ale, and two sour beer flavours, orange mango and guava, and grapes.

You can get your first fill from them including the bottle for $25 for one litre and $35 for two litres, and refills are $10 and $20 each.

Opening hours: 1pm-6pm daily.

AND FINALLY …

Other venues and restaurants in the outer east are also offering mainstream tap beers in growlers for takeaway.

They include The Sporting Globe (Westfield Knox, Chirnside Park), which has a pretty decent special of two one litre growlers for $13.90, and refills are generally $10.90 per litre.

And if you want to grab a growler without leaving your car, head to the drive-through bottle shop at Croydon’s Dorset Gardens Hotel.

They are offering freshly poured two litre refills of tap beer for $20, or you can get Canadian Club and Dry for $30.

If you don’t have a big enough bottle, you can get a two litre glass one from them for an extra $10.