Craft beer shop to enter Clintonville with a growl

Mark Spigos
Wed, 19 Mar 2014 01:33:18 +0000
Campus, clintonville, craft beer, growl!, store, wine

Beer and wine boutique Growl! is located at 2995 N. High St.
Credit: Mark Spigos / Lantern reporter

A new shop in Clintonville hopes to make its entrance heard.

The neighborhood’s food and beverage scene has welcomed its latest addition with the opening of Growl!, a craft beer and wine shop located at 2995 N. High St.

The beer and wine shop is a joint venture between co-owners Philip Hamilton and Jonathan Kindsvatter, who both reside in Clintonville.

Hamilton said he and his business partner want to offer “great beer and great service” to local craft beer enthusiasts.

“The quality of the beer that we have deserves a certain level of service, and we’re trying to bring that level of service to the arena and to the neighborhood,” Hamilton said.

The aim of Growl!, Hamilton continued, is to be as prestigious as a wine store.

“Wine stores have traditionally been nicer than beer stores because the prestige factor and the pricing of the product have demanded a certain retail atmosphere,” Hamilton said. “We’re trying to bring that beer store atmosphere up to the quality that we think that today’s craft beers deserve.”

Growl! had its soft opening March 8, unveiling a rotating selection of 41 handcrafted beers on tap, as well as a selection of bottled wine. The beer is currently limited to carryout purchase, and is being sold in both 32- and 64-ounce growlers.

“We do have a pint license pending,” Hamilton said. “So eventually we’d like to bring the option to have a pint, as well.”

For the time being, customers will be able to taste 2-ounce pours of wine and beer in the store for no charge.

Hamilton said Growl! is selling its glass growler containers for $5 a piece. The current selections on tap range from $9 to $22 per 64-ounce growler. For 32-ounce growlers, the cost of a 64-ounce is divided in half, plus $1.50.

Mark Naiman, a fourth-year in microbiology, said he visited Growl! with a few friends following the soft opening. He thinks the shop will fit into the emerging “craft beer environment” around the campus area.

“You can find something there that you can’t find at bars around here,” he said. “They definitely have an interesting selection.

Tyler Cooper, the manager at Tobacco International, located at 18 E. 13th Ave, said he believes the growler market is on the rise. However, he said that market is beginning to get saturated.

“A growler shop seems to pop up every few months,” he said.

Saturday’s grand opening event at Growl! is slated to last from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Growl! is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays.