The biggest hurdle for taking draft beer on the go is keeping it cold and carbonated once you leave the brewery . And whileinsulated locomotion growlershelp keep drinks invigorated for longer , traditional glass growlers start losing carbonation once they ’re open .
Portland - basedGrowlerWerkscombats the curse of flat ale with a note of growler keg boast built - in wiretap handgrip that mimic a brewery - smart pour . And with the company ’s lightweight and low-cost uKeg Go ( $ 99 ) model , GrowlerWerks is check that your lathery drinkable of choice can endure all - Clarence Day cookout , otiose nights on the patio , or a workweek in the fridge .
How is the uKeg Go different from a growler?
The primary merchandising point of the 64 - ounce uKeg Go is its tap , which dispenses beer just like you ’d be serve at a brewery . But it ’s not as simple as just filling it up and playing barkeeper — you’ll first need to install an 8 constant of gravitation CO2 cartridge before you even pour your first pint . Much like an literal kegful , the CO2 is what ’ll actually keep your drink overnice and frothy after you ’ve filled the growler . ( GrowlerWerks sells its own CO2 bursting charge one by one at$12for a large number of 10 . Each cartridge should last for the entire 64 Panthera uncia . )
The pickup itself pops right into a arm , which you then screw into the bottom of the chapiter . Once you ’ve tightly secured the pileus onto the growler , you’re able to choose your carbonation setting — first position for beer and cider and the 2d position for tonic and cocktails — and start pour .
Though the system is n’t complex , you ’ll definitely require to give the instructions a once - over before you first use it — I wound up liquidate my first CO2 pickup because I did n’t have the cap in the “ off ” position when I first set up it , resulting in it emptying out before I could even screw it on .
So, does it work?
My first drinking — Coke , because my local breweries still are n’t allow private growler fills due toCOVID-19 — come out dead chill and fizzy , as if it had just been rain buckets from a outpouring . But time is the enemy of all carbonate beverages , so over the next eight hours I rain cats and dogs a few more glasses to see how both the CO2 and the temperature held up .
I found that there was very little difference between that first dusty glass at 8:00 a.m. and that last one at 5:00 p.m. The drink suffered virtually no temperature change , thanks to the uKeg Go ’s threefold - rampart vacuum insulation , and never lost any of that bubbly character . Even when the kegful was leave out in the sun from noon to 5:00 p.m. , the soda pop remained insensible .
Because we ’re talking about a keg here , I knew I had to test out beer as considerably I could , so I remove a few cans to the uKeg , and the result was pretty much the same — the growler keep the beer ’s temperature and carbonation layer all day long , resulting in a uniform pour that never lose flavor or crispness . It ’s basically indistinguishable from having beer flat from a brewery spigot , and it ’ll credibly be my go - to journey watercraft anytime I contribute local beer on the go .
While these tests simulated bringing the uKeg to an all - day event , the company claims the growler would be able-bodied to maintain the carbonation for up to two week .
How’s the build?
The whole musical theme behind the uKeg Go is portability — it ’s meant to journey with you wherever you go , from a backyard barbeque to a weekend excursion out into the wood . And it sport a stainless - steel dead body that should be up for the challenge . It ’s lightweight , but the build is tough enough that you should n’t fret that you ’ve get fragile cargo with you ( just be aware that there is a tap spigot to suppose about , so you might not require to shove it around too much ) . There ’s also a convenient handgrip secured onto the top , making it easy to stock around with a digit or two while also traveling with beach bags and other outdoor necessities .
In terms of appearance , the uKeg Go is sportier and sleeker than the fellowship ’s traditional uKeg model , looking more like an insulated bottle from HydroFlask or Stanley than a spell of brewery equipment . And there are two colour to choose from : a unvarying tungsten gray role model and a slightly bolder chili red , which is what I went with .
you could pick up a uKeg Go for $ 99 on both theGrowlerWerks websiteorAmazon . There ’s also the troupe ’s standarduKeg growlerthat ranges from 64 to 128 ounce and sport a much more nuanced CO2 organization . That ’ll run you $ 159–$209 , depending on the exact framework you get . And if java is more your swiftness , the company latterly released the uKeg Nitro ( $ 199 ) model that dispenses creamy , nitro - infuse cold brew with the pull of a lever .
