Updated: 2/3/22

I’m sure I’m not alone in that when I’m out for a beer at a bar or brewery, I want something on draft. It’s a special experience to watch a beer poured with a perfect head then slid across the bar to my grasp. This feeling is why many people open bars and breweries in the first place — along with the love for the beer industry and craft beer.

In order to make the right decision for how to best serve up a frosty one at your venue, you have to know the pros and cons of different tap systems.

Whether you’re looking to install a totally new system, or upgrade your existing taps, there are a few options that range in monetary and spacial cost. The three systems we’ll be diving into are: the kegerator, direct draw, and long draw tap systems.

Untappd for Business provides an easy-to-use QR code tool that generates contactless menus for your customers.

In a post-COVID world, customers are increasingly demanding contactless, digital experiences. During the last few months, our business partners asked for more functionality in creating expanded contactless menus within the Untappd for Business platform.

You asked, we listened.

Now, within Untappd for Business, all it takes is a few clicks to create QR code menus for all of your menu items: beer, food, wine, cocktails. QR codes can be downloaded for digital use or embedded on easily customized printable menus or posters, all within one simple interface. QR codes can be downloaded for use in your custom marketing materials as well.

This new feature is included with your Untappd for Business subscription.

In the modern craft beer landscape, packaged product is king. Small, newly opened breweries have prioritized not only offering consumers a space to drink their beer on-site, but the opportunity to bring that beer home. Growlers and crowlers offer ad hoc solutions to the packaged product dilemma, but they can be time and labor intensive. Plus, aluminum has overtaken glass as brewers continue to switch to crowlers and/or 16 oz. aluminum cans over growlers and 12 oz. bottles.

In fact, the National Beer Wholesalers Association reported that canned beer “accounted for 60% of all beer sold” with glass bottles accounting for 30% and kegs 10%. So, eventually, a brewer will have to consider the optimal way to package their beer.

Over the last few years, several mobile canning companies have hit the market offering brewery owners flexibility and ease in packaging their beer. These mobile canning solutions can offer significant upsides but there are certainly drawbacks to outsourcing your packaging needs.

We’ve pulled together resources and expert advice to put together a list of the pros and cons of the mobile canning processes. Over the next section, we will be discussing all of the pros of mobile canning.

Small businesses are more than an important driver of our economy, they are part of the fabric of a neighborhood, of community. 2020 was a tough year for small businesses, and the neighborhood brewery was no exception. But we have seen stories of perseverance and resilience, of community and support, that helped keep many of these small businesses going during difficult times.

At Untappd, we are committed to being a partner to the breweries, bars, restaurants, and retail locations where craft beer drinkers come to learn, share, and purchase the world’s most enjoyed fermented beverage. Today, we share stories from some of our craft beer partners across the U.S. who found innovative ways to stay the course during the COVID pandemic.

In some cases, tap rooms and bars were able to serve a limited number of customers on-premise, in others, they shifted to ecommerce and to-go service. To support our brewery partners and our more than 9 million registered Untappd users around the world using the app to check-in beers, Untappd introduced its Untappd at Home venue, allowing users to continue to enjoy the social aspect of sharing a beer with friends – virtually.

For these community brewers, finding a way to continue to serve their employees and the community required some creative approaches.

With 2020 fading in the rear view mirror, and businesses making plans to reopen and welcome guests back in-person, many brewery and bar owners are hoping to make 2021 the best year yet. Getting together over a beer just isn’t the same over Zoom, the beer community is ready to raise a glass in person.

We would love to join you.

At Untappd, we serve data and analytics on beer trends to over 20,000 Untappd for Business partners; gathered from our over 9mn app users globally. But more than that, we engage with app users, brewers, bar, bottleshop and retail owners, and beer influencers who each bring a unique perspective – and a whole lotta great stories.

Our goal here at The Lounge is to share both data and experiences to help inform, inspire, educate and sometimes, just share some humor.

So whether you’re looking to make a comeback or start a new venture and are just getting off the ground, we’re here to provide super valuable content for all business types and sizes. Drop into The Lounge regularly for guides, tips and tricks, and interviews from some of the craft beer industry’s most experienced and influential veterans. Plus cool video from the best beer has to offer.

We’ll also share content that will help make the most of your investment and partnership with Untappd for Business – case studies, new feature tutorials, and more.

Lastly, we are working with a number of organizations to help bring craft beer drinkers back into brick-and-mortar locations. We are excited to be working with the Brewers Association to help raise awareness and engagement amongst craft beer drinkers by supporting various campaigns throughout the year. Stay tuned for more information – our first campaign will be in the coming weeks in support of American Craft Beer Week!

We hope you’ll join us. While you’re here, sign-up for the Untappd for Business newsletter – The Lounge Delivered – to get our content delivered straight to your inbox every week – no spam, we promise!