BAR & CELLAR
DRAUGHT IN LINE FOR MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS WITH INNOVATION BOTH IN THE CELLAR AND AT THE BAR, CRAIG HAWTIN-BUTCHER TALKS TO KEY PLAYERS IN THE EQUIPMENT AND DISPENSE SPACE TO DISCOVER HOW DRAUGHT MANUFACTURING, CELLARING AND DISPENSING ARE CURRENTLY MID-REVOLUTION.
“I
n the States with Techstar we have a customer who does 40,000 50-litre kegs of kombucha a year,” says Nick Becker, Business Manager at Kegstar, an important player in the Australian keg-supply market. While there are many reasons that make comparisons with the US unwise, Becker believes what happens in the US eventually matters over here. “We always seem to be 3-10 years behind the States so I’d expect to see [kombucha] coming over here.” We’re also a long way from seeing onpremise dispense taken over by kombucha, but Becker is not alone in highlighting the non-beer liquids frequently being tapped for patrons across Australia. “Small-to-medium sized venues are potentially carrying more than 20 variants of
draught beverage products,” says Joel Hunter, Manager of Beverage at Bracton Group, dispense equipment specialists. “Wine, nitro coffee, sparkling water and cocktails are all extremely popular at present and help new companies build their brands through increased product visibility,” says Hunter. Becker believes improved dispense quality, reduced spoilage and environmental factors are other factors driving a boom in draught dispense aside from eye-catching design. “Certainly coming into summer we’re seeing a lot of spirits on tap, kombucha starting to have more and more impact in the draught space,” says Becker. “The quality of wine we’re putting into keg is certainly a lot higher than maybe the first-pour bottle [hotels] have got on the shelf. Pricing wise it may not come in as cheap as the first-pour but the quality is a lot higher. If it’s in keg, then it’s on nitrogen
gas the whole time, a preservative gas, so you’re never having to tip out a half-bottle that doesn’t get used. The Cricketer’s Arms in Balmain has a white wine and the Coogee Pavilion, [along with] some of the Merivale pubs have gone into wine on tap. It’s still fairly niche but there are a lot of wineries enquiring about it and what to do.”
PROMINENT DISPENSE Beyond what’s in the keg, how it’s being dispensed is a huge growth area, argues Hunter. “Breweries and other product providers are seeking ways to make their products ‘stand out’ from the wide range of competitors,” he says, “and this is leading to more interactive forms of branding on towers. Illuminated LED decals or ‘Smart Decals’ have been introduced allowing for great visual and audible immersion through digital media at point of sale.
AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER NOVEMBER 2018 | 11
