Welcome to WESTie Wednesday,
where each week we get to know a proud WEST member and their Etsy shop! Learn
about Daivin and his Etsy shop North City Growlers!
“My
name is Daivin and my shop is North City Growlers and we specialize in
designing and creating personalized beer growlers.”
“I
was born and raised in Winnipeg and have been an avid beer lover. The
inspiration for my Etsy shop happened in 2013 while I was traveling through
California with my family. We were traveling down Highway #1 along the coast
just south of Big Sur when we stopped in to the Cambria Beer Company in
Cambria, California. I was sipping on a flight of beer and telling my wife what
I loved about it (the Green Valley IPA was my favorite) while my one year old
daughter rambled around the room. Suddenly, I spotted a tall beer jug on the
bar. It sat there, elegant and majestic. I asked the owner what it was, and he
said "That? Well that's a beer growler," and I have been in love ever
since. The process to create custom growlers is pretty intensive, but starts
with the customer picking a glass or stainless steel growler and then deciding
on a design. There are some templates to choose from but what I love most is a
customer with a specific design request. Taking an idea and developing it into
a unique and personal design is incredibly fulfilling. I don't always hear the
backstory behind a custom design, but when I do it makes designing it that much
more fulfilling. Once I have completed the art and the customer loves it, I
then start the long process of preparing the growler for etching. I use a few
techniques, depending on the growler material and the design.”
“I
design and etch personalized beer growlers made of glass and stainless steel.
The entire design process is done by me with input from the customer and the
etching is done by hand.”
“Beer
growler fill stations were launched in Winnipeg in October 2014 at six Liquor
Marts and two beer vendors in Winnipeg and Brandon, as well as Half Pints
Brewing. Beer growlers are a relatively new phenomenon in Winnipeg, but are
incredibly popular in many parts of the US and on the west coast of Canada. The
Liquor Marts plan on expanding the growler program to include more locations
and an ever expanding selection of craft breweries, so the program will
continue to get bigger and better. Personalized beer growlers give people the
chance to fill, drink, share and repeat while also expressing their own
individuality.”
“The
people that love personalized growlers also happen to love beer, so I've had
customers of all ages (over 18, of course) and from all walks of life. I have
had many people purchase these growlers as gifts for birthdays, Christmas
presents, anniversaries and for groomsmen gifts. The great thing about these
growlers is you don't have to use them only for beer. They are great for iced
tea, lemonade, wine, kombucha, or any other kind of hot or cold liquid which
makes them perfect for the whole family.”
We asked Daivin “Why Etsy?”
“I
love everything that beer growlers represent - Reusable, refillable and
shareable. I especially love creating growlers that people love and are eager
to share with their friends and family. Etsy has made it easy to connect with
people from all over the world.”
Want to see more? Be sure to check out Daivin on
social media!
