I received a new Draftmark Tap System to try out through BzzAgent. When my BzzKit arrived, I was excited to try this new system, which allows you to serve draught beer right from your refrigerator. My husband, a bigger beer enthusiast than me, was excited too. We took the system out of the box and starting charging the battery. After we purchased our first refill, it was very easy to set up the system and get it going in the fridge.
The system takes its own refills, and right now there are only a few beers available: Shock Top Belgian White, Shock Top Wheat IPA, Michelob Amber Bock, Bass Pale Ale, and Goose Island Honkers Ale. We tried the Belgian White and Goose Island. I hope more beers become available soon.
We served the most beer from our Draftmark tap during our New Year's Eve party with eight friends. All who tried it thought it was good, and asked a lot of questions about the system. It was really great having the beer cold and ready to go in the fridge as soon as guests arrived.
The system takes its own refills, and right now there are only a few beers available: Shock Top Belgian White, Shock Top Wheat IPA, Michelob Amber Bock, Bass Pale Ale, and Goose Island Honkers Ale. We tried the Belgian White and Goose Island. I hope more beers become available soon.
We served the most beer from our Draftmark tap during our New Year's Eve party with eight friends. All who tried it thought it was good, and asked a lot of questions about the system. It was really great having the beer cold and ready to go in the fridge as soon as guests arrived.
At first I had trouble finding the beer refills. The system and refills are now available at many places in the Chicago area, including Binny's and Jewel. Unfortunately, Draftmark's own website does not have an updated list of where you can buy the tap system and refills (side note: I must say the website's splash page, where you have to choose your birthday from a timeline, is rather cool). Most of the refills are about $15 - a little more for Goose Island.
Is the system a good deal? Well, refills are one gallon. I didn't keep track of how many glasses we got from each gallon, but I can do some math: there are 128 ounces in a gallon, which is about the same as 11 12-ounce bottles of beer. For the $15 refills, that's about $1.36 per 12 ounces. A 6-pack of Shock Top Belgian White, one of the refills I tried, is about $8.50, so about $1.42 per 12 ounces. So, without accounting for the cost of the system itself, the beer IS slightly cheaper to buy this way.
Plus, my husband and I have been drinking the beer in small glasses, so it has been a lot more than 11 servings for us. And that's part of what makes the system great: you can have as much or as little as you want.
But the best part about the whole system is that the beer's NOT in a bottle: it's ON TAP!! The taste and texture are very similar to getting a glass from the tap at your local bar. Except it comes right from your own fridge! The refills say the beer stays fresh for 30 days. The one I've got in the fridge now has been in there for about 35, and it still tastes ok. The beer has been quite frothy - sometimes too much - no matter how I've poured it. But it goes down smoothly and tastes great!
Plus, my husband and I have been drinking the beer in small glasses, so it has been a lot more than 11 servings for us. And that's part of what makes the system great: you can have as much or as little as you want.
But the best part about the whole system is that the beer's NOT in a bottle: it's ON TAP!! The taste and texture are very similar to getting a glass from the tap at your local bar. Except it comes right from your own fridge! The refills say the beer stays fresh for 30 days. The one I've got in the fridge now has been in there for about 35, and it still tastes ok. The beer has been quite frothy - sometimes too much - no matter how I've poured it. But it goes down smoothly and tastes great!
The system does make some noise - enough to be a little annoying. There's a sound like a growling generator that it makes every once in awhile. But only while the beer is being poured. I'm sure it's necessary to make the system work, but it was enough to scare my four-month-old, so I'd prefer it was a little quieter. Otherwise, no complaints about this new tap beer system. We'll definitely keep using it, and will recommend it to friends!
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