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    The Daily Growler Opens in Upper Arlington

    The local microbrewery community continues to evolve in 2012, right up until the very last minute. The Daily Growler is opening their doors for business today at 3pm. Located at 2812 Fishinger Road, this new retail store is offering customers sixty different beers on draft available for tasting on site, or for getting to go.

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    We spoke recently with owner John Blakely to find out more about this hybrid bar/growler filling station and what we can expect at tonight’s grand opening:

    Q: Can you tell us a bit about your personal/professional background as it relates to beer?

    A: I think my path to craft is fairly typical. I started in high school and college drinking natty because it was cheap and I just wanted to get drunk. After graduating from OSU, I moved out to California and that’s where I really began to get exposed to microbrews and good beer. In 2008 I ran for city council in Santa Monica and Stone Brewing Company was my alcohol sponsor. That gave me the opportunity to go down to the brewery and get a behind the scenes look at how some of America’s best beer was made. I haven’t really looked back from there. My first exposure to growlers came when we took a family trip to Portland. That place is a nirvana for craft beer fans (and one of America’s funnest cities) and with a different microbrewery on every corner we probably bought two growlers a day while we were there.

    Q: So then what drew you to wanting to open The Daily Growler here in Columbus?

    A: I moved from California to Dallas for work and was just unsatisfied working for the man and not really digging Texas. I was talking with my father about beer and growlers and we both kind of agreed that this was an interesting concept and had a good chance to succeed. After that we agreed to partner up, we starting developing a business plan and I started looking for a place in back in Columbus.

    Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the concept? Is it a bar? Is it a retail store? Will you serve food too?

    A: We like to think ourselves as a hybrid bar/growler filling station. Think of us as the Jeni’s of craft beer. You can sample a few flavors and take home your favorite in a growler. We will only be doing draft beer to start, and each beer will be available to be enjoyed on premise in either a pint or a 5 oz. taster. Customers can mix and match tasters to create their own beer flight, or we are always happy to recommend beers. We will not have a kitchen but we will allow and encourage customers to bring in outside food and have made arrangements with other restaurants in our center to deliver to us.

    Q: What can customers expect during your opening day today?

    A: That’s a great question… I’d like to say they can expect a well oiled machine with no hiccups, but there’s just no way to duplicate opening day with sixty taps flowing. I can promise they will be greeted with a smile by knowledgeable bar tenders and will be able to choose from a plethora of great beers.

    Q: Anything else we should know?

    A: We have happy hour seven days a week featuring 50% off drafts and a dollar off growler fills. Everyday we will feature a daily growler at a deeply discounted rate. We welcome feedback in all forms because we want to know what the customer enjoyed and what we could do better; even if it’s just a beer that they would like to see us have on draft. We are also selling a starter kit for $29 which includes an empty growler, two pint glasses, and a $20 gift card. We have a private “tasting room” available for private parties or events.

    More information can be found online at www.facebook.com/TheDailyGrowler.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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