heineken draught keg review

I heart Heineken.  I always associate it with air travel (I used to be a big in-flight Heineken guy) and think it’s one of the smoother, more refreshing beers out there.

Drinking it at home however, has only been an occasional indulgence. For some reason, it seems to be one of the ’skunkier’ beers out of the bottle.  Nowadays I tend to enjoy Heineken most on tap in the bar.

With the introduction of the Heineken Draught Keg, those mad geniuses from Holland aim to give me the best of both worlds.

 

WHAT IT IS

The draught keg, just as the name implies, is a miniturized, one use only, 5L keg.  It looks like some deliciously bloated can of Heineken, just waiting to explode with its signature fresh and fruity flavor.  It comes with a very simple plastic lever/tap mechanism and picture instructions showing how to use it.

USE

The instructions advise refrigerating the keg for 10 hours prior to use.  It shows a recommended temperature of ‘2-4 degrees’.  This is obviously a celsius measurement, but I can only imagine the first time some thirsty frat boys opt for the freezer treatment.  Kersplat.

After refrigerating, you simply fit a small plastic ring over the opening, and then slide the ‘tap’ lever into place (breaking a seal in the keg in the process).

Now, getting a frosty cold, true draught beer is as simple as raising the lever.  Unlike some other ‘mini kegs’ which are pretty much just oversized cans of beer with a tap in the side, Heineken’s Draught Keg is pressurized.

My first few mugs were pure foam (to be expected I’d imagine) but from there on out, I was pouring pub grade Heineken draughts in my kitchen.  Awesome. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The draught keg’s 5 Liters yields just over 14 (12 oz) beers.  I paid $19.99 for mine.  This equates to $1.43 per beer.  I can’t think of a single happy hour in town with such cheap, quality tap beer.  The keg’s  bound to be a huge hit at outdoor barbeque’s and the like, and since it promises a 30 day shelf life once opened, the beer will run out long before the expiration date does. 

Absolutely recommended, and let’s just hope the technology spreads to other brewers in the near future.