KegWorks Blog

Here at KegWorks, we have a fairly extensive selection of Guinness-related gear to choose from. Allow me to take a moment to highlight some new items we’ve recently added, just in time for Christmas.

Guinness Pint Cap:
If it wasn’t so close to Christmas, I would have bought this hat for myself already. I tried on the sample we received and it’s extremely comfortable. I’ve had a San Antonio Spurs hat with the same flex-fit design as this one for over ten years and I still wear it. It’s filthy and most people are repulsed by it, but I can’t help myself - it’s that comfortable.

Guinness Bar Mirror:
Like the one you see in your local pub, only smaller. The perfect size for your home bar.

Guinness Gaelic Print T-Shirt:
I’d imagine this is what Guinness labels looked like back in the 18th Century… if they even had labels back then. I don’t know. It’s a cool shirt, nonetheless.

Guinness Tulip Pint Glass:
Guinness brewmaster Fergal Murray says the best way to enjoy a Guinness is in a clean, dry tulip pint glass. They don’t go handing the title “brewmaster” out to just anyone, so I’m inclined to believe him.

Guinness History Book:
Guess where I learned that last little tidbit about the tulip glass? From this book! This tome contains everything you ever wanted to know about Guinness, and more. Who knows, you may even find out what Guinness labels looked like in the 18th Century.

Everyone’s got a Guinness nut or two in their life. I can think of three without getting past my family and close friends. Hopefully, I just made your Christmas shopping, and by extension your life, a little bit easier. If you are the biggest Guinness fan you know, go ahead and forward this post to everyone that may get you a present. With a little bit of that luck o’ the Irish, you might end up with some cool Guinness gear.

TAGS [ GUINNESS | GUINNESS PINT | GUINNESS APPAREL ]

Tom just sent me this sweet, semi-new Guinness ad…. it truly gives new meaning to the “domino effect.”

Good things certainly do come to those who wait…. in fact, I can’t wait to get out and grab myself a pint.

Cheers!

TAGS [ GUINNESS | GUINNESS AD ]

Throwing a party this holiday season? Here’s the low down on what you’ll need to make it a hit - this list includes bar basics for a party of 50 people. Of course, there’s always more you can add, but this is a list of standards to keep most guests happy.

And… ice (you’ll need about 1½ pounds of ice per person), 5 lemons, 5 limes, 2 jars olives, 1 jar maraschino cherries 1 bunch celery stalks and salt rimmers for margaritas.

Serving Beer?
Our rule of thumb for draft beer is 1 keg for 30-50 people, for a 4-hour party. If you’re going with bottles, stock 5 six-packs for every ten people.

TAGS [ HOLIDAY PARTY | PARTY SUPPLIES | DRAFT BEER | HOME BAR ]

My boss called me into his office again to present me with another assignment: Drink this 750ml bottle of Bam Noire from the Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Brewery, in Michigan, and write about it. Not being one to argue, that’s what I did. The bottle has a picture of a winged dog creature that looks like a Ralph Steadman drawing (beer drinkers, you will recognize this artist from the labels on bottles of beer from the Flying Dog brewery).

Bam Noire is described as a “Dark Farmhouse Ale.” It was a very dark, slightly cloudy brown when I poured the beer, cold out of the fridge, into a Belgian style beer glass. The head was very lively with tight, tan bubbles that filled half the glass. Definitely a beer you need to tilt your glass to 45-degrees to pour and probably would be a good idea to open the bottle over a sink. I did not get much nose other than a slight citrus peel, yeasty smell, but that may have been because I was pouring it right out of the fridge and did not let it warm up at all. I certainly did not get the, “Aromas of worn leather and cool autumn nights” as described on the company website and I am not sure I would have drank the beer if I did. Seriously, who wants to drink something that smells like worn leather?

I can best describe the taste as weird. Not a bad weird, just something I was not expecting, nor had ever had before in a beer. So, maybe “unique” is a better word. Right up front, you get a very strong white wine citrus taste from the yeast that is then overlaid with the roasted, slightly-chocolate flavor of dark malt that fades back to a sour citrus with a hint of hops. It was like a beer built on top of a base of Pinot Grigio wine, like I said - unique. I expected a noticeably high alcohol content and taste, but it was absent and I assumed by the style it was about 6%, but was quite surprised when I checked online and found it to be just 4.3%. I would definitely like to try this beer again, but I would let the bottle warm up, outside the fridge, to about 50-degrees before drinking. Truly a unique beer that pairs very well with foods. I enjoyed it with some brie, fresh local apples and green olives stuffed with blue cheese.

TAGS [ BAM NOIRE | BEER | BEER REVIEW | JOLLY PUMPKIN BREWERY ]

Right now is a great time to be a college sports fan. Football season is in full swing, with exciting upsets seemingly every week. The championship landscape is taking shape as many teams jockey for position in the rankings with Bowl Week right around the corner. College basketball recently got underway again as well, with early season invitational tournaments and non-conference play.

If you’re the type of sports fan that looks forward to Bowl Week and March Madness more than any other time of year, we have a new product you must see. The NCAA Coola Can refrigerator is perfect for anyone who bleeds their school’s colors and lives and dies with every touchdown and every three-pointer. I know more than a few people like this and I bet you do too.

More than just a beverage fridge, it would be the piece de résistance of any big game party. Proof that you’re willing to go the extra mile for your team and a thorn in the side of any rival fans in attendance. Also, I can’t think of a better accoutrement for a frat house or dorm room. Christmas is just around the corner and the gift possibilities of this can fridge are endless.

Choose from many popular schools, including multi-sport powerhouses like LSU, Texas and Florida, heated rivals like Duke and North Carolina, upstarts like Boise State or storied greats like Kentucky and Michigan.

TAGS [ NCAA | COOLER | DORM | GIFTS ]

Have you ever poured a beer into a glass and had the head of foam disappear too quickly? Or maybe the beer tasted off? If so, your glass wasn’t ‘beer-clean.’ A glass that isn’t beer-clean can produce flat, headless and off-tasting beer. Fat or grease based residues such as milk, dish soap, lipstick or fingerprints can leave a clear film on the glass. The film on the glass causes a rapid release of the carbonation in the beer, which causes it to go flat. Off-tasting beer can be caused by odors absorbed into the glass by milk, stale air, smoke, food from refrigerated environments and drying towels.

How to tell if your glass is beer clean?
When a beer is poured, there should be a tight head of foam that is about 3/4 to 1-inch from the top of the glass. If the foam dissipates quickly, the glass isn’t beer-clean. When the beer is being consumed, rings of foam will stick to the sides of the glass. If they do not stick, the glass isn’t beer-clean.

How do you clean the glass at home?
The easiest way to get your glasses beer-clean is to use a dishwasher. Dishwashers are great because the detergent used is a non-sudsing, non-fat cleaning compound that doesn’t leave film on the glass. Dishwashers also use a high heat to air dry the glasses.

Another way to clean your glasses would be to use an inexpensive manual glass brush along with a glass sanitizer. Rinse twice in cool, clean water and air dry in your dish rack. Do not dry your glasses with a dishtowel; the glass could absorb the odors from the towel and leave lint in the glass.

Another quick suggestion:
Only use your beer glasses to serve beer!

TAGS [ DRAFT BEER | PINT GLASSES ]