Our friends at Newcastle were so delighted that we invited them to share BlogsGiving with us, they sent us (i.e., MvB) a DraughtKeg to say thanks. I had never seen one of these personal-sized kegs before, no doubt because I live in Washington (aka The Land that Alcohol Marketing Forgot Thanks to the Ninny-Nannies at the State Liquor Control Board).
The situation is this: It’s a mini keg, holding five liters of Newcastle Brown Ale (B-, rates the Beer Advocate), that fits in your fridge and will keep for 30 days after tapping. Though really, if you enjoy beer, and it takes you 30 days to get through 10 pints, see a doctor. Two Sundays in a row I sat down to watch a Seahawks game with the roommate and *poof* it was empty.
There’s a little bit of self-assembly (which I’ll walk you through). I’m told it usually retails for about $23 (which makes those 10 pints pencil out at $2.30 per)–a good deal given the quality of the beer you get from the keg. It pours out with a good head (how much is up to your bartending skills and preference), and there’s a fresh, airy, maltiness to the drink that’s “just like at the bar.”
If you haven’t had Newcastle, it’s an English import that is presently classing up the Heineken properties. It’s a sweeter, easily drinkable brown ale, with caramels and a light malty nuttiness, but without any very aggressive elements in its flavor profile. The first tastes from the DraughtKeg introduce you to a fruitier top than you might be used to from a bottle.
The conspiracy is that you can’t actually get a DraughtKeg here in Seattle yet, so I’m left to stare bitterly at the empty (which is fully recyclable, by the way, plastic and aluminum). It would be great if a few thousand of you would lobby Newcastle to add Seattle to their distribution. It’s not going to replace the microbrews at the Hop Vine, but for home entertaining, it beats the hell out of a six-pack from the QFC. Plus, there’s a certain satisfaction you get from opening your fridge and seeing a small keg in there. “Hello, DraughtKeg!” you think. Well, just look at that little beauty.
Here are The SunBreak’s instructions for assembly of your DraughtKeg, just as soon as the distribution angle gets worked out.
1) You’ll start with a small keg and two plastic pieces (not shown yet).
2) The spout just presses down onto a pressure-sensitive valve (like the top of a spray can). When you seat the spout, the pressure will release beer! Be ready for that, ’cause it’s gonna shoot out. You might experiment by keeping your finger over the spout’s end, or just having someone hold a glass there so not a drop is wasted.
3) The last piece is a little flip-top that snaps on and lets you press down easily on the spout. There are just two little pegs that let it pivot, and you can read the directions or you can just force ’em in there, which is what I did. It’s not rocket science.
