11 Summer Beers for Your Kegerator

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

Summer is officially here and that means summer BBQs, pool parties, 4th of July celebrations and summer beers. So what kind beer should you have on tap this summer for your guests?

Well, it’s hot in most parts of the country during summer, so you need a beer that compliments the season. Traditionally light lagers and wheats are the summer “go to” beers, but times are changing and brewers are creating new flavor mash-ups and summer-friendly brews perfect for summer sip’n.

Seek out these beers by the keg and you won’t be disappointed.

2015 Summer Beers List

Equinox POA – Lagunitas Brewing Company

A creamy, pale oat ale hopped up with a huge charge of Equinox and Simcoe hops.

Kirsch Gose – Victory Brewing

A bold and bright step outside the norm, the flavors of a unique, old world German brewing process excite your senses with the sharp and sweet burst of fresh cherries.

Mana Wheat – Maui Brewing

A crisp and refreshing wheat ale is lightly hopped to allow the fruity sweetness of the pineapple to shine.

Not the Stoic (Quad) – Deschutes

Brewed with pomegranate & molasses, 15% aged in oak wine barrels, 15% aged in oak rye barrels. Molasses is not just for winter anymore!

Grapefruit Sculpin IPA – Ballast Point

Grapefruit’s a winter fruit, but this easy-drinking ale tastes like summer. It showcases bright flavors and aromas of apricot, peach, mango & lemon.

Pivo Hoppy Pils – Firestone Walker

Everything you love about classic German Pilsner with a hoppy Bohemian twist. Pils is a bright straw colored lager beer with playful carbonation topped with beautiful white foam lace.

Hoptimum IPA – Sierra Nevada

Hopped, dry hopped and torpedoed for incredible hop flavor and complexity, Hoptimum is the pinnacle of whole-cone hoppiness and the biggest Imperial IPA.

Big Eye IPA with Fresh Ginger Root – Ballast Point

Big Eye IPA infused with fresh skinned, sliced ginger root.

Mr. Pineapple – SanTan Brewing

GABF Silver Medal Winner, Mr. Pineapple was originally conceived for SanTan’s annual Luau Day. Hazy straw gold in color, they add natural pineapple juice (Rainforest Alliance Certified) to a traditional wheat beer creating a refreshing tropical flavor.

IPA 2.0 – Stone Brewing Company

The second incarnation of their groundbreaking India pale ale, Stone brewers employed dry hopping and hop bursting to squeeze every last drop of piney, citrusy, tropical essence from the hops that give this beer its incredible character.

Pear Ginger – New Belgium

Mix your own adventure this summer with New Belgium’s Pear Ginger Beer. The latest Lips of Faith release.

10 New Things to Drink Beer Out Of

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

Pressurized Growler with Tap

Keeps beer fresh and cold on the go. On KickStarter Now

A Beer Tasting Flight Board

Don’t let the bars have all the fun. Pour your own flights at home. At Great Fermentations

A Giant Flip Top Bottle

Holds around 8 or so 12 oz beers. At Bader Beer

A Mason Jar with a Stainless Steel Straw

These tall boys hold 24 oz of whatever your pleasure. At Etsy

A Pint Glass Made of Squishy Silicone

Not glass and not quite plastic. A happy middle. At Silipint

Probably the Coolest Beer Glass Ever Made

The Rad curvature of Teku is perfect for tasting craft beers. At Amazon

A Tabletop Tube of Beer

Not sure why, but let’s just do it. At Kegerator.com

A Beer Pitcher with Ice at Its Core

Who even needs a mug when you have this? At KegWorks

A Beer Mug Made of Oak

Can’t get enough of that barrel-aged flavor? Here’s your mug. At Amazon

Homebrew Bottles Made of Aluminum

No glass allowed? Metal bottles save the day At Deep Wood Brew.

5 Beer and Cupcake Pairings

Posted on June 18, 2013 by This Girl Brews — No Comments ↓

Turkey and cheddar, peanut butter and jelly, beer and cupcakes? Until now, I wouldn’t have thought the last two would ever go together. In the craft beer scene, unique pairings are popping up all over the place. The brainchild of my once upon a time college roommate Jamie, a beer and cupcake party, was planned for twenty of our closest friends.

Whether it was because she loves sweets or was tired of watching her husband and I drink beer and have more fun, the fact remains, this had to be one of the most entertaining and taste bud tantalizing pairings I have ever been to. Below are the pairings of my beers and Jamie’s semi-homemade cupcakes.

Pairing 1: Spruce Pale Ale with Vanilla Cupcakes

A recent bronze medal winner in an AHA sanctioned home brew competition, my Spruceski Brewski was paired with a vanilla/vanilla cupcake. Using regular yellow cake mix and this frosting recipe created a perfect pairing with the piney elements of the beer. Light and flavorful, this simple cupcake allowed for the ale to shine through.

Vanilla frosting

2 lbs powdered sugar

½ to1 stick of butter

2 tsp vanilla

Half n half to get to desired consistency

Pairing 2: Hop Soup IPA with Lemon/Vanilla Cupcakes

An aromaticaly hoppy IPA, this Hop Soup IPA isn’t as bitter as the first smell would make you think. While I prefer an overly bitter IPA, I made this one to appease the palettes on a broader spectrum. The cupcake chosen to go with this beer was a Lemon/Vanilla cupcake. Using lemon box cake mix and this cream cheese frosting, this cupcake provided a strong citrus backbone to the mild ale.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese softened

½ cup butter softened

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 cups powdered sugar

half n half to thin if needed

Zest lemon on top of frosted cupcake

Pairing 3: Coconut Oatmeal Stout with Coconut Cupcakes

A trip to Maui a few months back reignited my love of coconut. Bringing back some Maui turbinado sugar and dehydrated coconut syrup, I added them to a tried and true oatmeal stout recipe. Finishing the ale off with a fifth of coconut vodka made the coconut apparent throughout. Obviously, pairing this with an almond frosted coconut cupcake was a no brainer.

Almond Frosting

½ stick of butter

2 lb powdered sugar

2 tsp almond extract

Half n half to get desired consistency

Scoop frosting onto cupcake and coat with shredded sweetened coconut.

Pairing 4: Peanut Butter Porter with Caramel/Chocolate Cupcakes

Using a family recipe along with triple chocolate cake mix, this rich combination of chocolate and caramel became an indulgent pairing with my Peanut Butter Porter. Finished off with caramel vodka after fermentation, my PBP accentuated the rich caramel icing.

Grandma’s Caramel Icing

1 cup brown sugar

¼ tsp of salt

3 tbsp butter

⅓ cup evaporated milk

**Boil for 5 minutes**

Remove from stove and add 1 tsp of vanilla

Cool slightly add 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and beat until smooth

Pairing 5: Triple Hopped Barleywine with S’More Cupcakes

Last but not least was this 18% barleywine along with a marshmallow frosting adorned chocolate cupcake. Aged for nine months, HB3 went well with the light texture of this cupcake. As the grand finale, this combination left imbibers with nice warm bellies.

Marshmallow Frosting

4 oz cream cheese softened

¼ cup butter softened

7oz jar of marshmallow creme

2 tsp of vanilla extract

2 ½ cups of powdered sugar

When finished frosting, sprinkle with crumbled graham crackers.

About this Beer Blogger Heather Erickson is a beer writer, advocate and teacher in Tacoma, WA. A craft beer lover for over a decade, she religiously brews 10 gallons a month on a SABCO Brew Magic system.

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Introducing the KegMill: Walk & Pour

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

Quite possibly the coolest invention you have ever seen. If you have to ride the tread why not do it with fresh draft beer motivating you the whole time.

The KegMill: Walk and Pour system will pour your favorite beer and regulate your waistline in tandem. The inventors of the KegMill said “Dangle a carrot in front of a rabbit and you’ll see results fast!”

We couldn’t agree more.

Via: Kegerators.com

Super Bowl is Coming. How Will You Serve Beer?

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

Is your home “Super Bowl” ready? The party is just around the corner, so now is the time to get that draft beer system in place for the big kickoff. Right now save an extra $10-$25 off with code SAVER at checkout! Shop Kegerators.com for up to 25% off on kegerators + FREE shipping on select items. Offer Ends 1/24 at Midnight MST.

Related post: Super Bowl Kegerator Parties

Graduation Parties Are More Fun with a Kegerator

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

Years of hard work culminate in graduation from school. Surely, that is a time to celebrate. Graduation parties celebrate not only how far the graduate has come, but the excitement of the new life that lies ahead. Many a graduation is marked by a graduation party – whether a small intimate party just for a few family members or a big blow-out bash that includes members from the graduate’s class. And when there’s a party, especially one like a graduation party, beer is usually in plentiful abundance.

a graduation kegerator

So, if you’re planning a graduation party for someone special, consider renting a home draft fridge for the event. Kegerators are the perfect appliance to keep a keg of beer cold all day long and make it easy to neatly dispense beer from the tap. This means that if you are having an open house party all afternoon in the heat of May, June or July (like many graduation parties are), the beer will stay cold even as the later guests arrive.

Of course, if the graduation party you are throwing is to celebrate a high school graduation, you should use your best judgment about having a kegerator filled with a keg of beer at the party, since most of the guests might be underage. If that is the case, you do not want to invite trouble by having a bunch of high school kids find out that the party with the keg is at your house.

No, that would not be cool. But, if you are throwing a college graduation party or a graduation party to mark the completion of grad school, law school, med school or the like, then by all means go ahead and break out the kegerator. In those instances, you can be sure that having a keg of beer at the party will be a welcome addition to the recent grads.

Another use for a kegerator at a graduation party is as a graduation gift. No, you probably wouldn’t buy a recent grad a full size kegerator that houses a whole keg of beer (that would be better left for the fraternity they might have just left!). But, mini kegerators and portable kegerators make for great gifts that are a bit different than the norm and probably won’t be repeated by someone else.

Mini kegerators are small appliances, usually made of stainless steel and pretty nice looking, that house a mini keg of beer (only 5 liters). They are the perfect size for the new graduate that is just heading out on their own in a new (small!) apartment, but that wants to be able to entertain friends or to just relax after their new job with a frosty, cold one.

For those that are often on the go, portable kegerators, which are also small, allow the new grad to take the party on the road with them (not literally!), so if they are heading back to their old stomping ground for a tailgating party (link) or to visit some frat buddies, the beer can be on hand. Of course, you should just first make sure that the recipient of your graduation gift is over 21 years of age before presenting them with the gift of a mini or portable kegerator for graduation. And you should make sure that the graduate will appreciate such a gift, rather than getting a new briefcase, pen set or ipad.

Graduation parties can be the perfect social occasion for setting up the kegerator, assuming the party’s guests are of age. They also make for easy clean up after the party, since there are not loads of cans and bottles to have to pick up and recycle. Speaking of recycling, tapping into a keg rather than cases of beer, is an environmentally responsible way to celebrate the big milestone and each half keg of beer can save as much as five pounds of waste from the aluminum or glass used for beer cans and bottles.

Poker Night Is A Great Time To Tap The Kegerator

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

For many guys across the nation, poker night is a night to get together with a bunch of buddies to shoot the breeze, drink some beer, maybe smoke some cigars, and of course, to play poker. For those that have a home kegerator, poker night with the guys can be the perfect excuse to tap the kegerator and toss back a few beers while relaxing and having a few laughs.

Home kegerators provide the great tasting draft beer taste that you can otherwise only get at an actual bar. They keep the beer cold and fresh and dispense the beer through a tap, just as the bartender would at your favorite watering hole. The great thing about scheduling poker night at the house of whoever owns the home kegerator is that it can make you feel like you’re actually playing the game at your local casino, or in the back room of your local bar. This can make “guys night” feel that much more authentic and can add to the ambiance surrounding your favorite card game.

In addition to the draft beer you’ll all enjoy from the home kegerator, poker night wouldn’t be complete without some good food. Pizza is often a favorite of poker night, but depending on how much effort you want to put into the food at your get together, you may also want to opt for a barbecue, where you can make Guinness sliders, hot dogs, ribs or steak. Of course, you can also order in wings, Chinese food or some other favorite ethnic food. Or, everyone can simply bring a snack or two and you can make do with whatever winds up on the table. For the most part, everyone will be more interested in the great tasting beer than what kind of food is on the menu, so planning the menu doesn’t need to be too big a deal.

If your poker night games include a bunch more guys than would play in any one game at a time, you’ll probably notice that the extras that aren’t in the game will have no problem sitting out if they can hang out around the kegerator and have a beer or two when they’re not playing. It’ll give friends time to shoot the breeze, tell a few jokes or catch up on each other’s lives. If there’s also a dart board or a pool table nearby, that’s another good diversion for those that are not playing cards and will surely be a welcome addition to poker night festivities.

Of course, poker night doesn’t only have to be a guys-only night out and can be an equally fun night when there is mixed company or when it’s a ladies-only night as well. And, whether poker night consists of guys only, girls only or a mixture of the two – and whether it’s a singles night or a night that those who are married get a break from the usual routine, poker night is sure to be a much anticipated night out for all. Adding in some great tasting draft beer and some good eats are sure to add even more to the card-playing fun!

Planning an Oscar Party? Don't Forget The Kegerator!

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

Once a year, Oscar night is a much anticipated event for movie lovers. What better way to celebrate your favorite movies and movie stars than with an Oscar party? Oscar parties can be the perfect reason to get together with friends and take in the glam of Hollywood. So, if you’re planning an Oscar party this year, what should you have on your “must-have” list? Champagne? Canapes? Beer?

Oscar Party with Kegerator

If your crowd is more interested in drinking beer than champagne, or it’s simply a more practical and economical choice for your Oscar party, then you may want to break out your mini kegerator or tap into your home kegerator, if you have one.

Sure, it’s nice to have free-flowing champagne to get into the Hollywood mood at an Oscar night party, but the fact is that many people don’t like drinking champagne, and even if they do, it gets pretty expensive to supply champagne for a crowd for an entire evening. Instead, you can set up the mini kegerator and let people help themselves throughout the party to great tasting, draft beer. It may not be champagne, but chances are it will be enjoyed by your guests more than the bubbly stuff (and won’t leave you with a nasty hangover the next day!).

If you want to make your party more glam, you can serve the beer out of champagne flutes rather than beer mugs or simply plastic red cups. You can even find plastic ‘throw-away’ champagne flutes so that you can easily have enough for the whole crowd. Then your “bubbly” can just be fresh, draft beer from the kegerator, rather than expensive champagne, but your beverage choice will stay consistent with your party theme.

Drinks aren’t the only thing to think of when planning your Oscar night party, however. Food is also a big draw at parties such as these. You may want to skip the casual chips, wings and beer for something a bit more upscale to get into the Hollywood theme, but you can easily do so with some easy-to-make appetizers and finger foods that are as fun to eat as they are easy to make.

If you want to make the party really easy on yourself, you can just supply the kegerator filled with beer and ask each guest to bring an appetizer or dessert to the shindig. By doing this, it makes it easy for you to organize the party, and everyone is usually more than happy to show up with a dish to share with friends.

Of course, what’s Oscar night without some glamorous clothes and hairdos? To really get everyone in the mood for your Oscar party, make your party a dress-up night. You can put info on the invitations about what style of dress is most appropriate – you can make the party dress semi-formal, formal attire, or can even suggest that your guests come dressed as their favorite Hollywood actors. Some people prefer to have a more casual party, but if you want to immerse yourself in the Oscar night theme, dressing up can really set the mood.

However you decide to plan your Oscar night party, it is sure to be a fun event that will give everyone a reason to get out of their house on what may be a cold, February night, and enjoy good food and drink with friends while rooting for their favorite flicks and stars.

Super Bowl Kegerator Parties

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

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!

Does A Kegerator Belong At A Baby Shower?

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Chief Kegerator Officer — No Comments ↓

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.