A: We could ship you an empty one, but, unfortunately, it is illegal for us to ship beer.

A: Yes, we will fill any standard 64oz growler at our restaurants.

A: Good News! Once you buy your initial growler, you can bring it back for refills for just the cost of the beer! Prices vary by beer style.

A: Beer in a growler will last for several weeks as long as you keep it cold. The beer will not go flat or become unsafe to drink as long as it is cold. However, it will eventually develop off-flavors mainly because the beer is exposed to air for a short time during the filling of the growler. You should always, when possible, drink the entire growler in one sitting because a partially consumed growler will go flat quickly. Invite some friends over to help!

A: Once empty you should rinse it out with warm water at the very least. If for any reason the growler is not rinsed out immediately after use, then I suggest a soaking in dish detergent along with warm-hot water followed by a good rinse. If a growler was extremely neglected, then a bottle brush may be needed to clean it out, but under normal circumstances a warm water rinse followed by an inverted air dry is all you need to do in between refills. Never store a growler closed that is still wet inside as bacteria may start to grow. Sometimes, a film (Calcium Oxalate, or "beerstone") can develop on the inside of the growler. Citric based cleaners are best for beerstone.

A: Yes, our beers are available to retail customers (meaning, you're not a bar) in 1/2 and 1/4 barrel kegs. If you are interested, just drop us an email at brewmaster@duclaw.com stating which beer you are interested in, which DuClaw Brewing Company location you would like to pick it up at, and when you would like to pick it up. We will get back to you with the price/availability...it is that easy!

A: How long our beers (or anyone's beers for that matter) will last, depends on several factors. The main variables being style of beer and how well you maintain your beer dispenser. Assuming you clean your lines/tap between every keg or every 2 months(whichever comes first) and keep the tap clean between pours (a simple spray bottle with a mild sanitizer can accomplish this), you can expect a keg to taste brewery fresh for a minimum of 4 months...longer if it is a heavier/stronger brew.

A: We do offer a sample platter at all of our restaurants. You get a 4 oz sample of each beer that we have on tap at that time. It is a good way to try all of our beers and find the one (or more!) that suits your taste.

A: Our monthly beer release videos can also be seen on YouTube (keyword: duclawbrewing) usually the Friday following the beer release.

A: There are some stories out there, but as to which is true...who knows!

A: Directions to all of our locations can be found here.

A: Our beers can be found in many fine Maryland restaurants (including our own!), bars, and beer retailers. You can search for specific products here. To stay informed about our most current releases and events, we suggest that you sign up on our email list here.

A: The main difference between ales and lagers is the type of yeast used for fermentation and the temperature at which they are fermented. Lagers are usually fermented between 48-55 F, whereas ales are usually fermented around 65-75 F.

A: The difference is in the way the beer is dispensed. The nitro pour uses a different blend of gases to dispense the beer than our regular pour. Even though the beer is the same as far as the recipe goes, the different gas blend gives the nitro pour a creamier head, less carbonation "bite" and a mouthfeel that is more smooth than a regular pour.

A: Degrees "Plato", is mainly used by commercial brewers for the measurement of the density of solutions, expressed as the equivalent weight of cane sugar in solution. Homebrewers and some commercial brewers use a similar measurement referred to as specific gravity, which is a measure of total amount of dissolved solids in the wort.

A: IBU's (International Bitterness Units) are a measurement of the actual bitterness level of the beer. 1 BU=1 PPM of isomerized alpha acid. There is a calculation we use to approximate each beer's IBU level.

A: The most difficult beer that we currently brew would probably be Sawtooth because they contain a large amount of flaked and malted wheat...both of which do not have a husk like barley does. This makes the mashing process a little tricky because of the decreased amount of husk material. Collecting the wort can sometimes be difficult. This beer also has coriander and orange peel in the recipe. Finding the correct blend of these spices is a tad tricky too.

A: In order to make a true mead commercially, you must possess a winery license, and we are only licensed to brew.

A: Making cider is also regulated by different licensing and therefore we can not produce it under our brewery license.

A: Brewing beer from the day we begin the mash until it is in your pint glass can take as little as 18 days or as long as several months. This depends on many variables including style, type (ale or lager) and if the beer is dry hopped (such as Venom), just to name a few. Certain beers can also benefit from extended aging in the keg (such as Devil's Milk and Blackjack), while others are meant to be consumed immediately.

A: The first beer we brewed was back in 1996 and it was a Marzen. We called it Mad Bull Marzen. It is long gone and luckily, so is the name!

A: The carb counts of our staple beers range from approx 13-21 carbs/16oz serving, while our seasonals vary from about 11 carbs for our American Wheat beer Funk, to 35 carbs for Devil's Milk. These are considerably higher than the "low carb" macro beers which are in the 3-6 range, but that is because our products are made from only high quality malt, with no corn or rice added. Just to keep things in perspective, 6 tortilla chips contain about 18 carbs and 5 pretzel sticks about 22 carbs.