Kroger news release: Kroger opens its first wine and growler bar in western Virginia at noon tomorrow (Thursday, December 17) at the Colonial and Brambleton store in Roanoke County. Growlers are reusable glass containers for beer or wine, usually 32 or 64 ounces. “By adding growlers, Kroger can introduce customers to new and emerging brews that are only available on draft or specialty items they have never had a chance to taste,” said Terry Creaturo, wine coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Division. “It’s a way to feature local and craft beers made in limited qualities.” The wine and growler bar has 12 taps for beer and 16 for wine, offering a mix of local, regional and national offerings. The bar will be open every day, generally from noon to 8 p.m.
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“With this bar, we can give our customers a great experience in store and offer them more variety, hard to find beer and wines, and the ability to support local breweries in an entirely new way,” Creaturo said. “We chose the Colonial and Brambleton store as our first in western Virginia because the customers of that store have demonstrated strong support for craft beers,” added Creaturo. Events such as Tap Takeovers, meeting the brew masters and daily specials will be scheduled weekly. For information, go to Twitter@krogercs, or follow the store on TapHunter. Kroger will give customers a free glass when they buy a fill-up on Wednesdays. The grand opening of the wine and growler bar will be held at noon Saturday. Customers will receive a free growler when they pay for a fill-up Saturday and Sunday. Kroger has opened wine and growler bars in a few stores in Richmond and Hampton Roads. “As the format becomes more popular, we will consider other stores,” Creaturo said. Kroger operates 120 stores in the Mid-Atlantic Division, which is based in Roanoke. The Mid-Atlantic Division covers Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and adjoining parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.
