When you throw a party once in blue moon and you happen to invite a lot of your friends over, you naturally want it to go full blast. And what a better way to do it than not letting anyone go home sober?
But sometimes, even during these very rare occasions, you would still want to save on cost while everyone is having the time of their life. Beer in bottles and cans tend to be very costly and can be very inconvenient come clearing and cleaning time. This is the time when getting a keg might really come in handy.
But how much does a keg cost and how many of them do I need to keep everyone satisfied without going overboard and deal with plenty of leftovers that could not be consumed anymore?
Average Cost of a Keg of Beer
The average price of beers in kegs is roughly $80 for the cheap beer, the average type costs around $100, while the premium beer typically costs in the vicinity of $140 a keg.
According to BuyKegBeer.com,
- Bud Light keg $87
- Budweiser keg $87
- Blue Moon keg $175
- Budweiser keg $80
- Coors Light keg $90
- Corona Light keg $165
- Heineken keg (13.2 gal) $130
- Guinness (13.2 gal) $200
- Keystone Light keg $70
- Miller Lite keg $88
- Michelob Ultra keg $135
- Natural Light keg $80
- Pabst keg $100
Price listing of Superiorliquor.com has the following as of June 27, 2017:
- Big Kegs (1/2 BBL = 15.5 gallons)
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- Small Kegs (1/4 BBL = 7.8 gallons)
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What are Included
Before we even determine how much beer there is in a keg, let us know first what type of keg are we talking about as there are several types according to sizes.
These are the following:
Half Barrel – by standard, this is what most people imagine a keg would be. But instead of using the term half barrel which sounds like a half-tank equipment ready to embark in a battle, they settle for the simpler keg. This contains 15.5 gallons of beer. For those who know only the small portions, a keg is equivalent to 165 units of 12 oz. beers or 124 units of 16oz. beers
Quarter Barrel – this type of keg contains 7.75 gallons of beer or 82 units of 12 oz. beers or 62 units of 16 oz. beer. This also comes in two different forms which are the tall keg and the one that has the same girth but cuts the height in half.
Sixth Barrel – this type is also called the sixtel and can hold 5.16 gallons of beer. This can be translated to 56 units of 12 oz. beers or 42 units of 16 oz. of beer.
Cornelius keg – this kind of keg is used by homebrewers and they are typically utilized by homebrewers. This can hold 5 gallons of beer which can be translated to 53 units of 12 oz. of beers or 40 units of 16 oz.
Mini keg – this is the cutest keg of all which contains five liters of beer or 169.07 oz. enough to fill a couple of friends and yourself while watching a football match. This is equal to around 14 units of 12 oz. beer or more than 10 units of 16 oz. beer.
Additional Expenses
To ensure that kegs and taps are returned after use, sellers impose a refundable deposit for the items. A keg deposit normally ranges from $30 to $100 depending on the type of keg and the store. On the other hand, a tap deposit ranges from $50 to $70.
Shopping for a Keg of Beer
If you are planning a party and you are considering supplying beer to your guests to their hearts’ content, ask someone you know who might have already tried serving beers in kegs and ask for contact information.
You may also opt to check out Liquorama.net or call them at (877) 981-9044 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
If you want to stretch your creativity through brewing your own beer to surprise your friends, it would be a nice topic during party conversations and something you might be able to be proud of or brag about if you may.
Factors That Matters
As with any other consumer products, the price of a keg of beer can be affected by different factors, including:
What brand of beer – all liquors have varying price depending on the manufacturer. Some are priced higher due to superior taste, quality, and popularity, among others.
Location – location plays a big part in the pricing of beers and other liquors due to the difference in liquor policies among states in the US. Also, the cost of living and the cost of doing business can also play a part in the costing.
License type of the seller – the reseller type of your source of the beer can also affect its price as some licensing cost higher compared to others, thus being passed on as part of the price.
Refundable deposits – Added deposits for the keg and tap which can be refunded when you returned them after use.
Rental price – other sellers charge rental fees for the keg and tap thereby increasing the cost of the keg of beer as a whole.
Additional Information
How much beer do you need to serve on a particular occasion? Well, it really depends on the type of occasion itself.
For parties that mostly revolve around beers rather than the food, have something going on that distracts beer drinkers away from the gulping the entire beer straight up, say, watching a football match, and with an even mix of men and women, allot a beer per visitor per hour, depending on how many hours you intend the party to last.
For formal occasions like a wedding reception that is scheduled for 2-4 hours where food is the main attraction, allot a beer per guest for every two hours, regardless of whether all guests drink beer or not. There would be those few heavy drinkers that would consume the allotted beers for the non-drinkers anyway.
Convert the total quantity of your budgeted beer bottles and get the equivalent in keg. You can just allot a few cases of bottled beer or in cans for any remainder as a backup. This way, you can keep everyone satisfied without worrying much on how to dispose of too many leftovers.