The Art of the Basement Speakeasy

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As much as the authorities would like to ignore it, basement speakeasies have never really gone out of style. If they are hard to find, well that is the basis of their continued existence. If you can’t find one, why not start one up yourself? The art of the basement speakeasy lies in creating a comfortable environment for debauchery to take place. The basement speakeasies have a few things in common: word of mouth, comfort, and hours of operation that pick up where bars legally must leave off.

Picture of basement speakeasy

There are also many bars out there that are legal businesses and evoke the feel of a speakeasy with their decor and furniture. This kind of themed bar is the kind many would always rather go to, and if you plan on making your own basement bar at home, you should look at what others have done and use those designs to inform your building and decor process.

One of the first issues that most home bar owners have to address is the draft system. If you have a kegerator, you are in a good starting place for hosting late night soirees in your own basement bar. You will probably want a mini-fridge with a see-through door as well, for convenience’s sake. Once you have these basics covered, you can consider installing a sink for washing cups and the like.

basement speakeasy kegerator

When you are installing these items into your basement bar, thinking out of the box is going to yield some nice results. Some of the most ingenious designs have come about from changing just a couple of aspects of a draft dispensing design or changing the way the bar is built.

There are two bars in Austin, Texas that have an amazing feeling and sense of decor associated with them that are perfect examples of how to apply this speakeasy style. They are the Eastside Showroom and the Swan Dive, and the same interior designer created them both, Mickie Danae Spencer.

When you walk into the Eastside Showroom, it is just far off the main drag madness of 6th street to be comfortable. The while place looks old, although the bar only opened its doors a few years ago. The venue draws its old style feeling from a combination of exquisite custom made bar furniture, designed and built by the owner, and a lot of antique cut-ups. These cut-ups are a functional aspect of the bar build, but they all have an aspect that is modified from a vintage antique object, such as old milk cans, wine barrels, foot cranked Singer sewing machine bases, port hole windows from sailing vessels, and more.

Looking at a bar like this can give you a deep understanding of how to build something out of junk and make it look beautiful. The important thing about this aspect of design is to have a holistic approach. Take the Eastside showroom, for instance. The interior is beautiful, and most everything is vintage. Vintage cocktails, vintage wood used for the bar, and vintage music is either being played live or old recordings are being played on the stereo. Keep this in mind when designing your theme, and people will be saying – you “thought of everything”.

wood pallet shelves

Using old wooden pallets is an ingenious use of used materials and generally you can find them for free. Try local plant nurseries or landscaping companies, craigslist.org, freecycle.org or hardware shops. They normally have a lot of these pallets on hand and will give them away. Reclaimed wood from old wooden pallets can be transformed into all types of furniture, flooring and wall coverings.

Another local Austin, TX hangout – whose name we cannot mention, due to issues with legality and blacking out – is a surprising example of how a space can be converted into a cute little den of iniquity with little work. This speakeasy appears to be a former neighborhood church on the outside, but once you knock and are introduced in, you have a swank living room with mostly 1960s and 70s style furniture, and a small high table that acts as a bar (on occasion), with a small selection of bottled or canned beers.

This is a place that did not even have any kind of draft system. The owner was informal and friendly to those who came in to this private club. The walls were adorned with some very eccentric odds and ends. The owner claimed that the bottles and fetishes covering the place are things he found while tearing down to rebuild one of the walls. Magical charms that had been hidden away since the old owner, who was a bit of a medicine man in the neighborhood, had passed away. The new owner handled the fetish objects respectfully, and kept them in the room that had formerly been a place for the purveyance of magical charms and elixirs as a reminder of the history of the building. Such treasures are timely and often interesting to the owners or renters of the space in question, and here is an example of how to use these items to add meaningful decor to a space.

If you do plan on dispensing draft beer in your home bar, there are a number of simple modifications you can make to your home draft system to pull it in line with you home bar’s theme. See the article entitled “Hacking Your Kegerator: An Overview of Mods and Add-ons” for more ideas on how to modify your draft tower or change the aesthetic of your kegerator.

For those more interested in drinking than decor, a few vintage or faux vintage beer signs or some neon can be enough. Sometimes the simpler route is easier, but some prefer a drinking venue that has an almost museum like quality of presentation and coziness. The last thing you want to see in a speakeasy bar is a television. This is the most disturbing and mind numbing thing a bar can do – and it seems to be the most common offense. A room full of television screens blaring at the pitiable inhabitants, who are so mesmerized by the screens that they can barely talk to each other. There are alternatives that proffer a sense of being somewhere – or, in the case of these vintage speakeasy style venues – of being somewhen.

Kegerator Engagement Party: Say "I do" with Brew

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Engagement Party and Kegerators

So, he finally popped the question! You, as well as all who know you well, are so excited and your days are filled with wedding plans and thoughts of what your future will hold. But, before you get carried away, your friends and family want to throw an engagement party for you and your fiancé to celebrate the exciting news.

That means the person in charge of planning the party will need a guest list, a location that will fit all the guests, and some good food and drinks. To take care of the drink department, the party planner may want to consider buying or renting a kegerator.

Why a kegerator you might ask? At an engagement party? Because kegerators are a great way to offer cold, great tasting beer that makes sense for a large crowd. They are an economical option – and one that’s eco-friendly, too. Most kegerators fit a half keg of beer, which holds as much as 165 cans of beer. The cost of buying a keg of beer is cheaper than buying those 165 cans. And if you have a big crowd at your engagement party, you can easily go through that much beer. [Use our Beer Calculator to see how much beer you will need]

Also, since there are no individual cans housing the beer that each of your guests drink, there is less waste – and less mess – with a kegerator. No need to be cleaning up dozens of empty or half empty beer cans at the end of the party. And no need to be wasting nearly five pounds of aluminum (or glass if you would otherwise buy bottles – an even more expensive option). You can fill pitchers or growlers of beer from the kegerator, so it will be easy to pour if you have table set up for your guests.

Most people that plan an engagement party keep the party relatively informal – at least not as involved as the actual wedding reception will be. That means that having a kegerator set up in a corner so that guests can help themselves to cold beer is a great way to take care of the “bar”.

You can also have some soda and ice set up nearby for those that prefer soft drinks. Another way to keep the party informal is to have a buffet set up for the food, rather than a sit down meal. This keeps people up and mingling more and keeps the atmosphere relaxed and fun. If you don’t want to offer a full meal, finger foods that are passed around are another good option.  [Try our Guinness Slider recipe]

If you don’t like the idea of having a kegerator set up in the corner because it reminds you of old fraternity parties back in the day, don’t worry about it. For one, a kegerator is actually a refrigerator that houses the keg of beer to keep it cold, so all you will be looking at is something that looks like a mini refrigerator with a tap on top. This is a lot different than your younger days when someone might have grabbed a keg, threw it in a bucket full of ice (or a bathtub!), where there was melted ice mixing with beer all over the floor.

Instead, a kegerator offers a much more refined way to keep the beer cold and keep the keg out of sight. If you want, you can even buy a vinyl wrap to decorate the kegerator for the engagement party, or you can decorate around it yourself.

Getting engaged is an exciting time in anyone’s life and should be met with some type of celebration. Engagement parties can be lots of fun – especially if there is a kegerator placed in a strategic location to supply some great tasting, cold draft beer throughout the party. Just remember to have a great time as you celebrate the beginning of your new life together – and to drink responsibly!

Super Bowl Kegerator Parties

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Super Bowl Kegerator Parties

The Super Bowl. Not simply another day of football, it has turned into a national pastime that is noted for the specific foods that are served and the fact that it is the biggest beer-drinking day of the year. Super Bowl parties are a great way to hang out with friends to watch the game and the much anticipated commercials between breaks, while also enjoying great munchie food like pizza, wings and nachos, and of course, beer.

If you’re headed to a Super Bowl party at someone’s house that has a home kegerator, you can be sure that the gathering place will be around the kegerator while people watch the game. Most people that own a home kegerator also have a home bar, or some type of area in a family room or game room that they enjoy using for entertaining. This area is usually the “hang out spot” when friends gather for social occasions. People love to hang out near the kegerator because they have easy access to refill their cup of beer and it just seems to be the place that everyone gathers around throughout the party.

It doesn’t need to be Super Bowl Sunday to get together a bunch of friends for a party around the kegerator and to order a bunch of pizzas and wings while watching football. Any weekend in the fall or winter is the perfect time to have a group of friends over for a football watch party.

Just gather together some of your buddies that enjoy watching football (or just enjoy hanging out and eating and drinking while others watch football!), make sure your kegerator has enough beer in the keg to get you through the game, and make or order some good food and you’ve got yourself a party. Saturdays are great for college football watch parties, while Sunday is the day you’ll want to plan your football watch party if pro football is more your speed.

If you don’t want to have to supply all the food and drinks for the event, simply organize an informal get together, either at your house or somewhere else, and have everyone agree to bring something to the party. If you’ve got the kegerator, you can be sure that everyone will want the party to be at your house, but if someone has a portable kegerator or a mini kegerator, it’s very easy to take the beer to wherever the party will be. If no one has a kegerator or you want to have the party somewhere else, the alternative is simply to buy some cans or bottles of beer for the party instead. It won’t provide you with the authentic draft beer taste and feel that you’ll get at the local sports bar or pub, like a beer from a keg will, but it should suffice to get you through the party just as well.

Having a home kegerator is the perfect excuse to get family and friends together over a game of football. So, whether your favorite day of the football viewing year is the college championship game, the Super Bowl, or simply any day that your favorite team plays, call your buddies, grab some chips and dip or order a few pizzas, and then tap the kegerator and enjoy the game!

Dinner Parties Around The Kegerator

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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.

Beer Tasting Flight

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.

Does A Kegerator Belong At A Baby Shower?

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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.

Kegerator Baby Shower

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.

Why Kegerators Can Improve Fundraiser Results

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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!

Have an Outdoor Kegerator? Bring It To Your Next Block Party!

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Block Party Kegerator

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!

A Kegerator Wedding: Start Married Life Off Right

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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!