When folks walk into the LynLake Brewery in Minneapolis to fill up their growlers, they are usually toting traditional glass jugs. This week, we put a made-for-the-outdoors growler to the test with one of LynLake’s beer experts.
The Miir Growler is a 64-ounce, vacuum-insulated, stainless-steel vessel with an airtight cap that seals your suds cold for up to 24 hours.
For this test, I handed it over to Will Dhonau at LynLake and he was kind enough to fill it up with the brewery’s Ponyboy Gold Ale. Dhonau offered a few observations on the $59 Miir product.
Tight Seal — Dhonau noted the Miir growler felt “sturdy and looks cool as hell, and it seals up nicely.” This is important because the seal on a growler is essential to keeping your beverage carbonated and cold.
Leak-Proof Cap — Throw it in a backpack and the Miir will not leak, even if tipped upside-down. This is not the case with a common glass growler, which often use easy-to-remove twist caps.
Unbreakable — The durability of steel versus glass is obvious. A metal growler can take a ton of abuse. It’s built to be transported in a car, backpack, even on the back of a yak heading deep into the wilderness.
Premium Purchase — At $59, the Miir costs five times what an average glass growler can cost. (Feel-good aside: For each growler purchased Miir supports a charity that “provides one person in need with clean water for an entire year.”)
Open Up — At first, opening the Miir was a little tricky. (“The clasp top is kind of annoying,” Dhonau said.) Indeed, the wire-clasp cap is not intuitive, forcing the company to print instructions on top. But after you pop it open and closed a few times the process is natural.
Metal Vs. Glass — Common glass growlers are considered inert. Cheap metal containers can affect a beer’s flavor. The Miir uses a high-quality stainless, and we did not notice any mal effect on the taste. However, one tester could detect a “subtle metal smell” as beer was poured from the Miir.
The Intangibles — A big takeaway from Dhonau had to do with the more subtle side of the beer experience. With a not-transparent steel growler you lose “some of the intangible characteristics of the beer,” he said, noting that how the beer pours, how it looks in the growler, and how it smells coming out of the growler are “delicate characteristics” of enjoying your beer.
Not Your Everyday Growler — Because of its cost and other factors, the Miir is not a great purchase for workaday use. Stick with glass for your fridge beer. But for camping and the backcountry this vessel could be your go-to.
Overall, we like the Miir Growler for its intended use. The growler is 12.5 inches tall (5 inches in diameter) and weighs about 2 pounds when empty. Miir notes the metal is “Korean steel,” and the growler is made in China.
Buy one for your next beer-included getaway or an adventure where a durable, leak-proof container is needed to take that important beverage safe and sound into the wilds.
