Beer distributor Amber Nectar, which also owns and operates a casual beer bar of the same name in Robertson Walk, has introduced possibly the first growler stations in Singapore at their outlet for patrons to take away freshly-tapped draft beers.
Amber Nectar – which distributes German beer brands such as Hofbrӓu, Schlenkerla and Crew Republic – is the exclusive distributor here for the Pegas CrafTap, a beer growler filling system produced by the NPM Group from Novosibirsk, Russia. The unique system uses the same counter-pressure method found in large beer bottling factories around the world, allowing users to fill the growlers with beer and a set amount of foam, topped off with carbon dioxide and then sealed off with a perfect seal to prevent oxidization.
Amber Nectar has installed a number of Pegas systems in their Robertson Walk outlet, and will also be selling purpose-built 1.89L beer growlers – which are dark brown to keep out UV rays – to allow patrons to purchase draught beer for takeaway purposes.
The beer growler started in the late 1800s as a small, galvanized pail used to carry beer home from the neighbourhood pub. The term “growler” came about because when the beer is sloshed about in the pail by its already inebriated and unsteady handler, carbon dioxide escaping through the lid of the pail created a rumbling, “growling” sound.
The beer growler trend, which has taken off in a big way in the United States and Russia, is still nascent in this part of the world but Amber Nectar director Leonard Tan says he will be focusing his company’s efforts on spreading the awareness of growlers and growing the numbers of growler refilling stations across the island. “With better accessibility, we hope that consumers will really come forward to experience taking home a really good quality draught beer, something different from the usual,” shares Tan.
Customers at Amber Nectar can look forward to taking away in growlers German draft beers such as the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, a traditional smoked beer that originated in Bamberg, Germany; the Hofbrӓu Original, a traditional German lager; the Hofbräu Dunkel, the quintessential German dark lager, as well as the Münchner Weisse, an unfiltered German wheat beer.
Currently, Pegas growler fill systems have also been installed in Joo Bar, Salute Casual Dining, The Tiong Bahru Club, and The Namly Club.
