A beer keg is an ordinary sight at parties, liquor stores, or in bars, but most of us look at this carefully designed container without truly understanding its purpose. Smaller containers have their taps on the bottom, letting the drinks flow out with gravity. But in a standard beer keg, the tap is on top. So, how does the beer get into your glass? The answer can be summed up in one word: pressure.

Standard half-barrel beer kegs are designed to withstand the pressure of the carbonated drink inside. When you open the tap, the same pressure pushes the beer out. Unfortunately, this means the pressure inside of the keg is reduced. To keep the drinks flowing, you’ll have to pump the keg back up.

The easiest solution is known as a party pump. This device pumps ordinary air into the keg to get the pressure back up, like blowing up a tire. This is a great solution when you plan to go through an entire keg quickly, but it does have drawbacks. Oxygen in the air reacts with the beer in the keg, dulling its flavors and leaching out the carbonation. If a keg isn’t emptied quickly enough, the remaining beer will be flat and tasteless.

To keep the beer fizzy and fresh, bars and other establishments use a more specialized pump system to pressurize their beer kegs with nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or a mixture, depending on the beer. The right mix of gasses will keep a beer at just the right level of fizziness, so it isn’t too frothy or too flat. To fit nitrogen and CO2 pumps, these beer kegs are equipped with couplers instead of simple taps. Couplers come in seven different types to fit the pressure needs of each beer.

The best beer stays the best with the help of pumps, pressure, and a well-designed tap. Next time you visit your local bar or beer store, raise a glass to the beer keg that kept your beer fresh.

Universal Discount Package Store in Norwich, CT, offers wine, beer, and liquor at prices you can afford. Their store is 8,000 square feet of options to fit all of your liquor needs. For questions, contact them by calling (860) 889-6555 or visit them online for more details.