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Beer 101: Everything You Need to Know About How to Best Sell Beer

Feb. 17, 2022

Did you know beer is the oldest recorded beverage? It’s true—if you don’t include water, obviously. Here are some fun facts you might not have known about beer.

Beer made its debut in the Middle East around 10,000 BC.
Hops were first used in beer in 822 AD. Prior to hops, ancient brewers used a variety of herbs to give the beer flavor and balance.
The first recorded Oktoberfest occurred in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of King Ludwig I and Princess Theresia.
Commercial refrigeration of beer first began in 1873.
The number of breweries doubled in the U.S. from 2007 to 2014 during the craft beer boom, going from 1,511 to 3,464.

The wide world of beer is a vast land to navigate, so make sure to bookmark this article which has a variety of tips and tricks you can use every day to make the most of your beer program.

Draft Beer Service Q&A

What is the shelf life of draft beer?

Most kegs have a minimum shelf life of four months, with the average shelf life being six months. Some can be as high as a year. Most dates listed on kegs are “born on” dates, which is when the shelf life begins so you can forecast when the beer might be out of code. Many keg beers taste fine even after the shelf life, except for IPAs, which are more delicate brews and the taste profile noticeably changes when it’s out of code.

What should I do if a keg is giving me trouble?

First consider this list of questions:

Is this a new keg? It’s probably still too warm and needs more time to sit in the cooler—at least 12 to 24 hours.
Is the keg old? It might just be close to empty.
Is the keg full and at the proper temperature? Check to see if the gas is turned on, and if the gas tank is empty.

If you are still having issues, contact Breakthru for assistance.

Code Dates 101

Check out the below examples regarding how you can identify the code dates on various packaging.

Beer Styles You Should Have in Your Inventory or on Your Menus

You’ll want a good variety of styles so that you’ll have a brew for all the varying tastes of your customers. Here is a handy list you can use to optimize your beer selection.