back to store

800.625.8238

Craft Beer Blog from The Beer of the Month Club

A craft beer blog written by the experts of The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

Beyond the Bottle: Kegerator Life

October 15, 2021 by Ken Weaver

kegerator series x double 1 1Shortly after the pandemic started last year, my wife brought up the purchase of a kegerator. She’d put together a spreadsheet, and—given how ubiquitous and expensive four-packs had gotten in the Bay Area, at least—that spreadsheet indicated that the payback time for a used kegerator would be pretty quick (especially given the prospect of having to bunker down for many months). We bought a two-tap used kegerator from a guy up in Healdsburg soon after my wife wooed me with data, and it’s proven to be one of our smartest beer purchases yet.

First, quick downsides: Kegerators obviously aren’t for everyone, and ideally the purchase of one would increase the quality of beer consumed rather than the quantity. Take good care of yourself, first and foremost, and recognize that the ability to pour any amount of beer at any time is probably one of those “With great power comes great responsibility” situations. That said… the upsides have been many. Beyond accumulated cost savings, we’ve never been able to have such consistently fresh beer—particularly with a lot of retail beers sitting on shelves, and/or stuff only being available for curbside pickup (i.e., no chance to look at date codes). We make fewer trips for beer acquisition, reducing our risk factors during a pandemic. And, given the shambled state of draft beer out here, a lot of our local breweries that didn’t offer kegs direct to consumers before have started to, significantly expanding local options. When we do buy cans and bottles now, it’s stuff we’re excited about rather than overpriced staples.

Have you taken the kegerator plunge yet? Been considering it? What’s your favorite part of kegerator life—or, what’s been keeping you from it? Hit us up on Twitter @RareBeerClub.

Related Posts:

  • DIY Craft Beer Advent Calendar
    DIY Craft Beer Advent Calendar
  • Rare Beer Club Special Offer - Les Trois Mousquetaires
    Rare Beer Club Special Offer - Les Trois Mousquetaires
  • Beyond the Bottle: Been a Pleasure Exploring Beer with You
    Beyond the Bottle: Been a Pleasure Exploring Beer with You
  • Rare Beer Club Special Offer - The Bruery
    Rare Beer Club Special Offer - The Bruery

Posted in: Featured Selections

About Ken Weaver

Ken Weaver is a freelance beer writer and watercolor-and-ink artist based in Petaluma, California. New original artwork is available from his webshop every few Fridays: kenweaver.com/shop.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Check out our Beer Clubs

  • U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club
  • U.S. and International Variety Club
  • Hop Heads Beer Club
  • International Beer Club
  • Rare Beer Club

Beer Lovers’ Pages

  • Beer Naming Contests
  • US Brewery Directory
  • Craft Beer Styles

Beer Topics

  • Beer Education
  • Beer Events
  • Beer Humor
  • Featured Selections
  • In the News
  • Interesting Beer Info
  • Member of the Month
  • Notes from the Panel
  • Recipes and Pairings
  • Uncategorized
Join our Beer Club or Give a Gift Membership

Recent Posts

  • DIY Craft Beer Advent Calendar
  • Rare Beer Club Special Offer – Les Trois Mousquetaires
  • Beyond the Bottle: Been a Pleasure Exploring Beer with You
  • Rare Beer Club Special Offer – The Bruery
  • Beyond the Bottle: Dabbling in “Cold IPA”
Sign up for our rss feed

Archives

Beer Bloggers Conference

The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club | 1-800-625-8238 (Outside USA call: 949-206-1904) | P.O. Box 1627, Lake Forest, CA 92609