Salty Grower Origins: From Shoreline Sessions to the Open Sea

It all started on solid ground. Back in 1990, amidst the roar of Dingle and the Bantry “Mussel” festivals, the elder Growlers first cut their teeth. Those legendary pub sessions were the heartbeat of the time, forging a bond in smoke and song.

The true "call of the sea" came in ’97—a pivotal year marked by a Dingle "surfari" and a yacht-based stag out of Kinsale. By the 2000s, the annual pilgrimage to Dingle for surf and sessions became a non-negotiable rite of passage. These trips were so successful they eventually went bi-annual, though a standout 2004 session in Santander truly set the template for our international ambitions.

Eventually, the call of the Mediterranean became too loud to ignore. Our local sessions evolved into global adventures, taking the Growler spirit to La Rochelle (‘17), Majorca (‘18), Ibiza (‘19), and Malta (‘22). In recent years, we’ve left our mark on Lacanau, Quiberon, Rhodes, and the rugged coasts of Sardinia and Corsica (‘25).

As we look toward 2026, we’re ready to coin a phrase once more: “Bring me that horizon.” The sessions continue, the salt stays in our veins, and the best is yet to come.