Tagged growler bar

Have you thought about installing a growler filling station in your liquor store? With a growler bar, you’re providing a product on tap that clients want, especially when it’s a beer that’s only available in kegs. The first time a customer buys and fills up a growler (64 ounces) the cost is about the same price as a 6-pack of beer—between $5/litre up to $13/litre for more expensive brews. Refills become cheaper once customers have their own growler and aren’t paying recycling fees.

It’s an off-season Thursday night at the Park Distillery in Banff, and the joint is jumping as if it was a holiday weekend in the height of summer. Servers are slammed, getting samplers of craft vodka, gin and un-aged rye out to thirsty customers. Guests lean over to their neighbours’ tables, asking perfect strangers what they’re drinking.

With increasing competition in the liquor industry in Alberta, liquor retailers need to up their experiential ante. That includes checking in on your outlet’s ambiance and vibe, service and selection, and developing a no-stone-left-unturned approach to marketing, and your ability to nurture your clientele.

There was a time when Kyle Baines had aspirations of becoming a neuroscientist. In 2000, he was studying at the University of Lethbridge while working part-time at his father's wine store. It wasn't long before…