Keg Beer vs Bottled and Canned Beer

Beer. It's a party must-have. And many event hosts believe that having the bartenders serve keg beer at their party, wedding or other event will be both econimical and easy to serve. But, unfortunately, the opposite is true.

Here is why we recommend NOT having your hired bartender serve from kegs at your Austin event:

VARIETY. You can offer more beer selections with cans or bottles. The preferred types of beer can vary with age groups, and local vs. traveling family members. We always recommend having at least 3 choices (lager, light, and a local craft, dark or IPA option).

*NOTE: We have worked many weddings where the parents and other family members try our local Austin favorites and can't stand them. It's a good idea to have a classic Dos Equis, Corona or Shiner for older family members and something crafty and local for friends. *

PRICE. Ultimately, you don't actually save that much money when purchasing a keg. Because ... FOAM. Also, you can return untouched cases of beer to most liquor stores, or keep them for yourself for later fun. It hurts your wallet and your heart to return an untapped or half filled (ie. wasted) keg of beer.

EFFICIENCY. Kegs significantly slow bar service down, as rental kegs do not have the same tap service that typical bars have. At minimum, the first 10 beers are foam, and depending on how it travelled and was transported to it's location, it could be more. You can however rent a C02 tap to speed up service if you want (such as what is used in bars).

TRANSPORTATION. Kegs are difficult to transport and some venues do not have a clear path to carry it to it's desired location due to steps or long distance travel from the vehicle. This all adds up to a full keg of foamy beer.

If you absolutely must have a keg at your Austin event, no problem. We can make it work. But know it will slow down service, unless there's an extra bartender on hand whose primary job is to stand at the keg(s) and pump, pump, pump.