But local residents and party animals alike can purchase and walk away from the brewery with 5-gallon, 7.75-gallon and 15.5-gallon kegs. The Los Gatos Planning Commission, in a 3-1 vote, granted the brewery a modification of a previous approval, allowing the sale of beer for off-site consumption at a July 28 meeting. The upscale microbrewery and restaurant will be able to sell the three different-sized kegs—but not the growlers.

Commissioner Tom O'Donnell, who made the motion, specified that the product must be made on-site, and customers can only pick up and return the kegs between 2 and 5 p.m., the off hours between lunch and dinner for the business. In addition, the business will have a one-year review, at which time any increases in parking-lot usage and traffic impacts can be evaluated.

Jeanne Drexel, chairwoman of the commission, said she worried that selling growlers and wine from local vintners had the potential of turning the establishment into "a liquor store."

"I don't see that ever happening," said Pat McElroy, Los Gatos Brewing Co. operations manager.

The commissioners were not in favor of adding off-site consumption of wine to the microbrewery's application. McElroy said the reason for the request came because the brewery/restaurant frequently has customers who enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner. But if they don't finish it, the bottle is corked and bagged for them to take home. Currently, customers can't purchase additional unopened bottles.

Brewmaster Sherman Thacher looked at selling the growlers and kegs as a way of bringing in additional business and meeting the demands of customers. Often, the brewery/restaurant has patrons who ask to purchase their beer, he said, who it has to turn down.

"We're doing one-third less production than when we first opened," he said.

Production has gone down partly because the economy is different from when the business opened in 1991, McElroy said. Some of the initial attraction and excitement has worn off, and a number of microbreweries have popped up after the business opened, even though it remains the only microbrewery in Los Gatos.

"I hate to be totally negative when someone is trying to make their business bigger," said O'Donnell, in support of the applicant.

Many microbreweries in the area sell their products—including growlers—on premises for off-site usage, such as Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in San Jose, Stoddard's Brewhouse & Eatery in Sunnyvale and Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant in Campbell. Like these microbreweries, McElroy said, Los Gatos Brewing Co. customers will have the opportunity to bring back purchased containers to be refilled at a lower cost, while recycling and minimizing waste. The stainless-steel kegs will be packaged and properly sealed for home consumption of their contents.

"This will not change any of the current parameters of how and when we operate our restaurant today, nor will it change any of the existing practices in our brewery," said McElroy. "It is not unlike any other brewery that is promoting their establishment through the sale of their products for individual consumption."

Commissioner Lee Quintana, who voted against the motion, said she was concerned about intensification of parking, where the kegs would be stored, how they would be loaded and unloaded and what kind of a precedence their decision would set in the community.

"We have no other instance of on- and off-site retail, and that is somewhat of a setting policy if we approve it," Quintana said.

The microbrewery representatives said they did not feel that parking or transportation of the kegs to customers' vehicles would cause a significant impact on the parking lot, which is also used by customers of surrounding businesses.

The brewery representatives, seated in the audience, initially shook their heads in disbelief when the motion was passed. McElroy said they're still debating whether they should appeal the decision. McElroy said they were not angry; rather, they were disappointed with the outcome and the lack of understanding on the part of the commissioners, even though the decision will still allow the brewery to promote and market its beer.

"I still would have liked to have all sizes considered. Growlers are more marketable. I think it would bring a lot of additional revenues to the town and obviously to us as well," said McElroy, adding the brewery often has visitors who collect growlers from different microbreweries. "It's a nice keepsake item."