KegWorks Blog

I get many calls during the course of the week from people who are having trouble with their draft beer systems. Many of the problems stem from old equipment or lack of care for their system (read: cleaning and maintenance). But one of the major problems stems from lack of planning, which means the whole system is set up incorrectly from the start and the cost of fixing it is huge!

Many expensive problems can be avoided by buying the proper equipment at the outset, laying the system out correctly and having a certain respect for the system and its needs. People, especially those in decision making positions, should realize that spending a few extra dollars in the beginning will save them thousands of dollars in the long run. There will be less wasted beer for one, and there wouldn’t be any need to add these necessary parts later. Now, if the infrastructure for the beer system is incorrect, forget about it; you better just get used to foamy, flat beer.

Planning is key and it’s cost effective - not to mention you will be serving a much better product for ultimately less money out of your pocket. Looking for some guidance in setting up and maintaining draft beer system at home? Check out KegWorks Community: Draft Beer Systems for tons of tips and tricks.

TAGS [ DRAFT BEER | DRAFT BEER SYSTEM | KEGERATOR | KEG FRIDGE ]

This morning, upon opening my email for the day, I was presented with an article, “A Pint-Sized Problem,” sent by Dave. Although I’ve heard of pubs and restaurants, here and there, shorting patrons on their brews of choice, I had no idea it was such a prevalent problem.

Turns out quite a few establishments are turning to 14-ounce glasses, usually the size and shape of a 16-ounce pint, but with thicker glass on the sides or on the bottom of the glass, especially since the prices on hops and barley have risen so much. On top of serving inadequate pints, bartenders are also charging more. Less beer for more money? Perish the thought… and yet, it’s happening more and more often. I noted from the article that bars can get 20 more beers out of a keg by serving 14-ounce glasses instead of a true pint. What’s a beer lover to do?

Luckily, you and I aren’t the only ones upset about the Less for More Pour. And not all establishments are jumping on this wagon. Portland, Oregon’s Raccoon Lodge has begun serving beer in 20-ounce glasses, instead of 16-ounce pints;

“The 16-ounce glasses held only about 14.5 ounces, says restaurant manager Lisa Crombie; the 20-ounce glasses hold about 18 ounces. ‘We just thought it was fair,’ Ms. Crombie says. ‘People were paying for a pint, so they should get a pint.’”

Cheers to Raccoon Lodge for truly fulfilling the pint, as it should be. (You do know that an actual pint in Britain is 20 ounces, right? How did we fall into 16-ounce pints here, anyway???)

Think I’ll stop out for a tasty brew tonight, and try some measuring at my own favorite hole-in-the-wall. If I find that I’m being shorted on a weekly basis, I know where my preferred bar can get some true, 16-ounce pint glasses…

What can you do about puny pints in your own neck of the woods? Well, beer activists are currently chatting about creating stickers for the windows of bars that serve true 16-ounce pints. This way, patrons can take their money places that they know won’t stiff them on their favorite brews. Prefer to take immediate action? The article suggests that you try asking for a “top-off” once the foam settles. And why not? I do it every time I’m out for coffee; why not beer? Most likely, you won’t be denied… at least that’s the hope.

TAGS [ BEER | BEER PINT | PINT GLASSES | PINTS | FALSIES | HOPS SHORTAGE | DRAFT BEER | BEERS ]

I usually fill this space with some sort of beer related tidbit, but this time around I am blogging about vodka. This weekend I had the opportunity to try three new flavors of Three Olives Vodka: Tomato, Triple Shot Espresso and Root Beer. That’s right, root beer!

First, I have to say, all three flavors are excellent. When I want a flavored vodka, I usually drink Stolichnaya Vodka because Stoli’s flavored varieties are subtle and don’t taste like someone dumped a packet of Kool-Aid in my drink, like some other brands. The new Three Olives flavors are very subtle and not overwhelming, and may have eroded my preference for Stoli’s flavors.

The tomato flavor is perfect for a bloody mary. The triple espresso is fantastic on the rocks with some milk and would make a great coffee martini. I was most intrigued and a bit skeptical of the root beer vodka, thinking it would be another sickly-sweet, over-flavored vodka that tastes like it was made by DOW chemical. Much to my pleasant surprise, I found that the root beer vodka actually tastes like root beer; really good root beer. I could easily drink it on the rocks; probably a bit too easily. I found mixing Three Olives Root Beer Vodka with soda water was a great way to maintain the flavor and get something between me and the alcohol.

I can’t wait to experiment more with Three Olives Root Beer Vodka and come up with some new and interesting root beer flavored drink recipes. All three should be coming to a liquor store near you so watch for them and create your own new drinks.

TAGS [ THREE OLIVES | VODKA | ROOT BEER VODKA | THREE OLIVES VODKA | ESPRESSO VODKA | TOMATO VODKA ]

Found this is the Buffalo News this week. It’s an ad from our local retail beer chain, Consumer’s Beverages. “Take the Day Off… Go Beer Shopping.”

In one word - Classic!

TAGS [ BEER | BEER SHOPPING | CONSUMERS BEVERAGES | BEER ADS ]

When you work for a place called KegWorks, it is kind of a given that your job will be a bit more fun than the average 9-to-5 office gig.

Usually Tom, our CEO, does a fantastic job of helping us balance the fun stuff with getting down to business.

This week Tom went out of town.

As the old adage goes, when the cat’s away, the mice will play. And play we did.

I didn’t think that our office could possibly get any more relaxed but someone in upper management (we won’t name names) had the great idea of replacing Tom’s office door with something a little more “welcoming” and “summery” while he was at his conference. We ran with it.

Sure, we’ll all have a good laugh tomorrow morning when we see the look on Tom’s face once he sees his new entryway… but in all seriousness, who wouldn’t love coming back to an office with a door that makes you feel like you’re walking out onto the patio?

He’s going to love it for sure. I can already hear him saying, “Hannah, please step onto my terrace for our 2 o’clock meeting…”

TAGS [ KEGWORKS ]

When thinking of reasons why I love Buffalo, there are many things that come to mind; such as the friendly people, all the great summer events and festivals… but it is some of the smaller things that make me appreciate Buffalo the most. You don’t necessarily know what these little things are until you leave Buffalo.

One of these small things is Sweetened Iced Tea. Go into a bar anywhere in the country and order a vodka tea. It’s not going to taste the same as it does in Buffalo. Buffalo is unique in that we use sweetened Lipton (or similar brand) iced tea. It’s right on the soda gun. Everywhere else uses unsweetened tea and it’s just not the same, even with a packet of sugar. So next time you’re in Buffalo, order yourself a Peach Vodka on the Rocks with a splash of tea. No need to specify sweetened - it’s assumed and it’s delicious!

TAGS [ BUFFALO | VODKA | PEACH VODKA | VODKA ICED TEA | COCKTAILS | COCKTAIL RECIPES ]

I fully intended, last night, to resume my weekly visits to Scarlet. Once I arrived home from work, though, I decided I did not want to leave. To be honest, I haven’t seen much of my apartment in the last 3 weeks. Last night seemed like a perfect night to enjoy time with myself. And what better way to celebrate some much needed me-time than with beer and chocolate?

I made a stop over at the Village Beer Merchant, one of the newest beer and fine food stores here in Buffalo, and just a few blocks from my home. The selection of brews - and chocolate, for that matter - is fantastic. A stockpile of smooth, Belgian chocolate caught my eye immediately. I knew right then and there that that was exactly what I wanted. The next question was, which beer to pair it with?

Normally, when indulging in chocolate and beer - especially if enjoying dark chocolate - I tend toward the stout side of things. Imperial and oatmeal stouts always pair great with dark chocolate. But this was Belgian chocolate, and I wanted to imbibe in something other than a stout (for once). So, I made a beeline for the Belgian Abbey Ales. I’ve tried a number of these in the past, and although it’s not actually in Belgium, the Ommegang Brewery of NY makes a most fantastic Abbey Ale. You may have read Pete’s review of Ommegang Abbey Ale a few months ago.

The deep, rich, dark, malty roasted brew was a perfect match to my Belgian chocolate - so much so that I most definitely over-indulged. That took care of my chocolate craving, at least for a little while.

TAGS [ BEER AND CHOCOLATE | BELGIAN BEER | BELGIAN CHOCOLATE | OMMEGANG | ABBEY ALE | ABBEY ALES ]