Kegerators Blog

Having a dinner party? You may want to start or end the get-together around your home bar, especially if you have a kegerator. This can make for a fun and informal night.

Dinner parties have always notoriously been a more formal way to get together with friends. They often include the invitation of a few select people or couples and a somewhat formal procession to the evening. Dinner parties typically start with a drink or two, so people can get to know one another if they don’t already or catch up with old friends if they do, followed by a sit-down meal in the dining room.

After the main meal has been served, the party can become a bit more relaxed, with guests adjourning to the living room, family room or game room. A few more drinks, or coffee and dessert, can end the evening – or the dinner party can transition into a whole night of more informal fun.

If you want to add a bit of fun and informality to your next dinner party, start or end the evening around your home bar and tap into the kegerator. Nothing sets the tone for a more casual and enjoyable night like a few draft beers shared around the bar. If you don’t have a home bar, complete with an under counter kegerator filled with beer, have no fear. A glamorous stainless steel mini kegerator set up on a counter or table serves the purpose well, too. Mini kegerators fit small 5 liter beer barrels, which should be enough beer to serve to a dinner party crowd, and they dispense the beer through a tap, just like a real bar.

One increasingly popular method of planning a dinner party these days is to plan a progressive dinner party. This works well if all the people at the party live fairly close by and works especially well if you are planning the party with neighbors. In a progressive dinner party, each phase of the dinner is hosted by a different person, in a different house.

So, you can start with appetizers in one person’s house, have drinks in another, the main meal in a third, and dessert at yet another home. If you have more people than that, or want to keep the party going longer, you can then head to another home for more drinks and socializing. Progressive dinner parties are a great way to spend a fun evening and equally spread around the work of entertaining a crowd.

When planning progressive dinners, everyone usually volunteers to host the portion of the dinner that they feel most comfortable with. That means that, if you’re lucky, the person with the best stocked bar or a full kegerator of beer, will be the one to host the pre-dinner or post-dinner drinks. [Use our beer calculator to see how much beer you will need for your dinner party] If you’re the type of crowd that likes to split your time a bit after the formal portion of the dinner is over so that the guys can hang out and shoot the breeze, maybe play some pool and throw back a few beers while the ladies open a couple of bottles of wine and catch up, then it makes sense that the guys head to the house with the kegerator while the women head to the house with the fully stocked wine refrigerator.

Having a kegerator or a mini kegerator is certainly not a necessity when planning a dinner party, but if you or one of your dinner party guests happens to own a kegerator, it can certainly add to the enjoyment of the evening.

Baby showers have always been a popular celebration for moms-to-be, filled with pastel hues of pink and blue and roomfuls of women crooning over adorable little outfits for the impending new arrival.

Recently, couples baby showers have become the rage – a new type of baby shower celebration that includes both the mom and dad-to-be, along with their friends and family members of both sexes. These celebrations have become more about celebrating the couple and the new life they are bringing into the world, and in some cases, the celebration has turned into a full blown party.

So, with all of the celebrating going on, does the idea of having a kegerator at a baby shower sound enticing? Moms-to-be can’t drink beer, or at least shouldn’t drink beer, so why have a kegerator at the celebration? Well, because it is a celebration! Many baby showers, even those that are ladies-only shindigs, offer alcoholic beverages to guests, even though the soon-to-be mom can’t imbibe.

When the ladies get together, there may be champagne, wine, or other mixed drinks, although there is often also beer for those that enjoy drinking beer. Once men enter the picture, there is a natural tendency to want to include food and beverages that will appeal to the dad-to-be’s guests, so having a kegerator on hand makes sense.

Home kegerators are basically beer fridges that house and cool a keg or half keg of beer. Unless you’re having an all-out, blow-out baby shower, or you’re inviting a ton of people, chances are pretty good that you will not go through that much beer at the party. But, if you are hosting the party at someone’s house that already has a home bar kegerator, then it makes sense to offer beer from the appliance, rather than running out and buying cans or bottles of the malt beverage. {Use our Beer Calculator to see how much beer you will need for your baby shower!}

If, on the other hand, the host or hostess does not own a kegerator, someone that has a mini kegerator might want to bring it along to the celebration so that there is cold, fresh beer available to the men in the room (and ladies who like beer!), without there being a ton of beer on hand (mini kegerators hold just a small 5 liter mini keg of beer).

When you think of a baby shower, surely the first thing that comes to mind is not a keg of beer sitting front and center amidst baby clothes, strollers and car seats. But, since baby showers are about celebrating, and since many people enjoy celebrating with a celebratory drink or two, kegerators can have their place at a baby shower too.

So, as long as the mom-to-be is not hanging around the keg (or at least is not drinking around the keg!), there is almost always a place for an adult beverage or two to celebrate new life and the promise of new opportunities. Of course, as with any type of celebration, it is important to make sure that guests drink responsibly. Baby showers are certainly not the place to overindulge, but rather to enjoy time spent with family and friends while getting excited about the new baby and helping to outfit the new arrival in style.

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Fundraising events can be any type of event in which the primary purpose is to raise money for a specific cause, charity, organization or individual. The events can range from anything from a small get together among friends to a large formal gathering, complete with formal attire and a formal sit-down menu. But, whatever type of fundraising event is planned, and whatever the size, you’d be surprised by how much having a beer kegerator on hand can improve the results of the fundraising efforts.

Why would a kegerator filled with beer improve fundraising outcomes? The answer is pretty simple – and pretty obvious. It’s no secret that people are a bit more relaxed and open to parting with their money if they’ve had a few drinks. That’s why almost all fundraising events offer some type of alcoholic beverages during the event, and much the same reason that casinos offer free drinks to those who are gambling. That’s not to say that you should deviously aim to get people drunk at your next fundraising even so they will donate more money. It’s just that when people are out having a good time, have had a drink or two, and know that the money they donate will help a good cause, they are more likely to contribute.

If you’re holding a fundraising event at a bar, restaurant or catering establishment, chances are that there’s already a kegerator on site, dispensing draft beer. Most bars and dining establishments that have a liquor license already own a commercial kegerator that sits behind the bar. Kegerators, which are basically like refrigerators that are made to house a keg of beer and keep it cold, are a necessary appliance for any establishment that serves beer out of a keg. This is because kegs of beer not only need to be kept cold so the beer tastes good, but so the beer keeps fresh. Then a tap or two is placed on top of the kegerator or on top of the bar to dispense the beer.

If you’re organizing a fundraising event at a location that would not already have a kegerator, then you may want to consider renting one for the event. Kegerators can be rented out so you can then purchase a keg of beer and have enough alcohol flowing throughout the whole event, even if you’ve got a big crowd. Of course, beer doesn’t need to be the only type of alcoholic beverage that is served at a fundraising event, but if you’re looking to keep costs down so you can keep the amount of money that goes towards the fundraiser’s bottom line up, then beer is your best option. See how much beer you would need for your fundraiser with our Beer Calculator.

Another way that a kegerator can improve the outcome of your next fundraiser is by using it as a raffle or auction item. In this case, we’re not talking about a full sized kegerator, but rather one of the smaller mini kegerators that can be a great addition to any home. Mini kegerators are unique small appliances that house a small 5 liter mini keg of beer and can sit on top of a home bar or even a table or kitchen counter. The beer keeps cold and is dispensed through a tap, just like a real kegerator.

You can purchase a mini kegerator for around $100 – $300, depending on the model, but can then use the kegerator to get people to part with their money. Have the mini kegerator be an auction item or use it in a raffle drawing if your crowd enjoys beer. The amount of money you get in raffle tickets for the appliance or bidding may far exceed the cost to buy the appliance – and since a mini kegerator is not something that most people would think about going to a store to buy, they will enjoy bidding on such a unique novelty.

So, although it doesn’t seem like an obvious combination, kegerators, whether full sized or mini, can be a great way to add success to your next fundraising event!

Block parties are a great way to get out and have fun with your neighbors. Typically held in the summer, although they can also be held in the spring and fall (even if the winter if you live in a climate where winters aren’t cold and dreary), block parties are often held outside on the street where you live, in a cul-de-sac at the end of the street (if there is one) or in a front or backyard of one (or a few) of the neighbors. If you or someone on the block happens to have an outdoor kegerator, then you will surely be the hit of your next block party.

Outdoor kegerators function in the same way as indoor kegerators do. They consist of a refrigerated compartment that can house a keg of beer. The exterior of the kegerator compartment then has a single or double tap that dispenses the beer. Outdoor kegerators are available in different sizes that can house full kegs, half kegs and quarter-sized kegs. The only real difference between an outdoor kegerator and an indoor kegerator is that the outdoor model is constructed to withstand the elements outside.

If you have an outdoor kegerator built into an outdoor kitchen in your backyard, then the block party will have to come to the kegerator – meaning, the block party will wind up in your backyard because that’s where the good beer is. But if you have an outdoor serving cart with a kegerator, you can most likely bring the kegerator to the party, since most carts have wheels to make them easily transportable. This means that you can simply roll your outdoor cart and kegerator to a more central location in order to let all of your neighbors share in the good fortune of the great tasting draft beer you can offer.

Of course, a block party isn’t simply about the beer and how it is served, so you’ll also want to consider food, games and entertainment for the kids. Food at a block party is usually best handled by having everyone bring a dish to eat, or you can assign different types of food to different families. If you often plan block parties on your street, you may want to consider having a different theme each year or at each party to keep things interesting. So, you can plan a Mexican fiesta one year, an Italian festival the next and a German Octoberfest yet another (that’s clearly a themed event where you’ll want the outdoor kegerator to take center stage!). These are just a few ideas, but there are certainly many others – and one of the best ideas is just to have a good ol’ fashioned American barbecue, complete of course with good ol’ American beer along with the hotdogs and Guinness sliders.

Some block party coordinators find it easier to plan the entire menu, purchase all the food, drinks and beer and then just charge each family or person a fee to join the party. This is one option available to those who are planning a block party. Another is to just let each family contribute something to the party. However it is planned, you can be sure that having an outdoor kegerator on hand to dispense cold, fresh and great-tasting beer, will be a hit at your next block party!

The “big day” is arriving soon and there’s lots to do. Of course, there’s the much coveted wedding dress to pick out by the bride, along with countless other decisions to make such as where to hold the festivities, what the invitations should look like, and who should be a part of the wedding party. Then there’s the food and drink to think about, the entertainment – and by necessity, the budget. So, with all this going on, how do kegerators fit into the picture of this blissful day?

Kegerators can be a great choice for meeting the “adult beverage” requirements for those interested in having a more informal wedding reception. Not quite for the white glove service crowd, kegerators can get the party rolling by providing great tasting, cold draft beer for the wedding guests – on a budget. The kegerator can be placed behind a bar with a paid bartender to dispense the frothy ale, or if you want to keep the party even more informal (and want to cut down on the cost of hiring a bartender!), you can simply leave the kegerator out for guests to help themselves. See how much beer you will need for your wedding using our wedding beer calculator.

Although having a kegerator at a wedding may not seem like the classiest of options, the truth is that everyone who attends a wedding is there to have a great time. Most people enjoy a party where there is some good tasting beer – and many more wedding couples are choosing to limit the alcoholic beverage selection at their weddings to beer and wine only, or even just beer, to keep costs down while still keeping the fun up. So, in fact, a kegerator can be a great way to handle the dispensing of alcoholic beverages in style at your nuptials.

For those hiring a bartender or a catering service that also handles the alcohol, a kegerator may even be something that the bartender or caterer brings or has on site. Many catering establishments already have under counter kegerators set up in their bar areas. If you are having the party at a restaurant or other dining facility that has a liquor license, they very well may have a kegerator as well and can provide you with the option of offering draft beer to your guests.

If, on the other hand, you are planning a party in a different type of venue, such as in your own backyard, in a tent outdoors, or in another non-traditional location, you may be forced to bring your own supplies – including tables, chairs, serving pieces, and even the necessities for setting up the bar area, such as a kegerator. If that is the case, and you are not using a catering company to do the work for you, you can rent a kegerator or two to supply the beer you need for the party. Very often rental companies, the same ones that will bring and set up your tables, chairs and even the tent, can rent and set up the kegerators for you, too. They may not be allowed to supply the keg that fits in the kegerator, due to laws about liquor sales in your state, but if not, you can easily ask a friend to do the honors of picking up and setting up the keg or kegs in the kegerators so they are nice and cold when it’s time to celebrate.

So, if you are looking for a way to plan a wedding to celebrate with friends and family while keeping your budget in check, consider limiting your alcoholic beverage options to only beer and wine, or beer only, rent a kegerator or two (or ask if the caterer can bring them) and get on to the fun. The expense of providing alcoholic beverages at a wedding can be one of the heftiest components of a wedding budget, but there are ways to still throw the party of a lifetime to get your new life together as a couple started without breaking the bank. Simply rely on a kegerator or two to keep the cold beer flowing!

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