WHY SERVE DRAFT BEER

FRESHNESS

BOTTLED BEER IS PASTEURIZED FOR STORAGE AND LONGEVITY AND DESPITE THE “BORN ON DATE” TREND, KEGGED BEER IS ALMOST ALWAYS FRESHER BECAUSE IT IS NOT PASTEURIZED* AND IS STORED AT COLD TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE.

BOTTLED BEER IS KEPT IN WAREHOUSES NOT COOLERS AND AS A RESULT IS SUBJECT TO WIDE TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS. THIS ALONE CAN HARM THE BEERS FLAVOR, NOT TO MENTION THE ALTERED TASTE CAUSED BY THE PASTEURIZATION PROCESS.

 DRAFT BEER IS NOT HEAT TREATED DRAFT BEER SUFFERS LESS OXIDATION

BEER HATES OXYGEN! THIS IS BECAUSE OXYGEN REACTS WITH BEER INGREDIENTS SUCH AS CARBOHYDRATES, HOPS AND ALCOHOL TO CORRUPT ITS FRESH TASTE. TO COUNTER THIS OXIDIZATION, BEER NEEDS TO BE STORED WITH AS LITTLE AIR IN THE CONTAINER AS POSSIBLE. PROPORTIONALLY SPEAKING, AS A FULL BEER BOTTLE TENDS TO HAVE MORE AIR LEFT AT THE TOP OF IT THAN A FULL KEG OF BEER, MORE OXIDIZATION TAKES PLACE WHICH MEANS A BITTERER TASTE. ALSO, THE EFFECTS OF OXIDIZATION GET WORSE THE LONGER THE BEER REMAINS UNSOLD. AS BEER BOTTLES CAN HANG AROUND FOR MONTHS BEFORE BEING SOLD, THE TASTE WORSENS WITH AGE. HOWEVER, BEER BARRELS TEND TO BE BOUGHT ACCORDING TO DEMAND, SO ARE DRUNK MUCH NEARER TO THE DATE THAT THEY LEFT THE BREWERY.

 DRAFT BEER IS NOT AFFECTED BY LIGHT!

 WHEN LIGHT REACTS WITH THE HOPS IN BEER, IT CAUSES THE TASTE TO BITTER. THAT IS WHY, IN GENERAL, BOTTLED BEER COMES IN A BROWN GLASS AND SHOULD BE STORED IN DARKENED AREAS. THE EXCEPTIONS ARE CERTAIN BEERS WHICH ACTUALLY USE THIS LIGHT REACTION TO ENCOURAGE A BITTER TASTE, SUCH AS CORONA (CLEAR BOTTLE) AND HEINEKEN (GREEN BOTTLE). HOWEVER, KEG BEER IS ALWAYS KEPT IN THE DARK SO THIS LIGHT-INDUCED BITTERNESS CANNOT TAKE PLACE.
 

TASTE

BECAUSE KEG BEER IS NOT PASTEURIZED AND IS FRESHER THAN BOTTLED BEER IT TASTES BETTER AND IS CLOSER TO THE TASTE THE BREWER INTENDED WHEN THE BEER WAS BREWED. PROVIDED THE DRAFT SERVICE EQUIPMENT IS MAINTAINED AND CLEANED PROPERLY, DRAFT BEER WILL BE BETTER TASTING THAN THE SAME BOTTLED OR CANNED BEER.

ECONOMY

DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, KEG BEER IS MORE ECONOMICAL AT A PER OUNCE PRICE ABOUT 15% LESS THAN BOTTLED OR CANNED AT RETAIL PRICING.

 ENVIRONMENT

A KEG IS THE ULTIMATE “GREEN” PACKAGING FOR BEER. KEGS ARE FULLY REUSED BY BREWERS JUST AS THEY ARE – NO ENERGY CONSUMED IN MELTING DOWN AND REFORMING AS IN RECYCLED BOTTLES AND CANS.

  PROFIT

FOR A BEER RETAILER KEG BEER REPRESENTS A FAR HIGHER PROFIT THAN BOTTLED OR CANNED WITH COST OFTEN 50% OR MORE BELOW BOTTLED OR CANNED.

THE ONLY TIME THAT BEER DRINKERS ARE LIKELY TO PREFER BOTTLED BEER IS IF THEY’VE TASTED A DRAFT THAT’S BEEN PUMPED THROUGH DIRTY LINES. DIRTY LINES AND A SYSTEM THAT HAS NOT HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE CAN AFFECT THE TASTE OF DRAFT BEER. IT IS VITAL TO MAINTAIN AND CLEAN YOUR SYSTEM REGULARLY! THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT DRAFT BEER IS FRESHER, TASTES BETTER, IS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE PROFIT MARGIN ON DRAFT BEER IS MUCH GREATER!

CHEERS!

EXCERPT OF THIS ARTICLE WERE TAKE FROM THE  HOME BAR OWNER NEWSLETTER, DRAFT BEER MADE EASY, AND LONESTAR BEVERAGE SYSTEMS.