Draft Beer

Cool aesthetics are one thing. The best tap handles, though, do strategic work beyond just looking good on the tower.

Borrowing methods from abroad—including Czechia, Germany, and Japan—more breweries are offering their customers an experience that explores the impact of foam and texture on the enjoyment of beer.

Kegs are expensive and attrition is inevitable, even as the market for draft beer gets tighter. The good news: When it comes to managing that fleet, brewers today have more options than ever.

Chasing flavor-driven trends on retail shelves is certainly one way to pursue growth. Yet smaller breweries may find more success by recommitting to an identity grounded in intentional brewing.

Craft beer on draft is struggling to make its comeback, but by focusing on certain details—and by helping to educate bars and restaurants on service and presentation—we can restore it to pride of place.

Given the ongoing uncertainty in on-premise hospitality, there are fewer taps flowing than there were two years ago. Yet those open draft lines represent opportunities for breweries willing to adjust and build relationships.

Neil Witte, draft-beer wizard and founder of Craft Quality Solutions and Tapstar, offers practical tips on ensuring that untainted beer flows from draft systems that have been idle.

Brewing marches onward—but presentation sadly lags behind, failing to do the product justice. Greg Engert, beer director of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, offers the latest tools of the trade to help bars and taprooms rise to the challenge.