I voted "Yes" but sometimes it depends on the style. For example, Wild Ales, Saisons and other Belgian styles develop more character in bottle vs. draft The guy in the video is basically saying that draft beer can often be worse because of dirty draft lines and you just have to "trust" the establishment...Well yeah, I'm not gonna expect Buffalo Wild Wings or some dive bar to be diligent about draft line cleaning, but I sure am gonna trust the brewery whose logo is on the glass: Tree House. While educational, the video's title and results are pretty clickbait-y
Cat Wolinski had an article about this awhile back. Nonetheless, the premise is subjective. Yet, most draft accounts are objectively & purposedly frigid…the video above was to address lager(s) & what a several degree difference can make per approach
I think you’d have to have a can, bottle, and keg packaged the same day. Then have them side by side and poured similarly so that carbonation and freshness are as equivalent as possible. I think it also goes without saying that clean lines and limiting oxygen during packaging are a must. Cask, nitro, Lukr, and Stichfass pours shouldn’t be compared. They’re completely different experiences than a can or bottle.
I will confess up front. Not going to watch the video because the title is patently wrong and click bait. Also, keg Beer is packaged Beer, so wtf? Draft Beer is not pasteurized in The USA, with few exceptions. When served correctly, Draft Beer is invariably better than bottle and can. Draft systems that are not set up and maintained correctly and kegs that are improperly handled or package are a big problem. It's not the beers fault. This is not just opinion. Fresh Beer is better. But poorly handled beer is not good. Bottle and can will withstand a lot of abuse that unpasteurized keg beer will not. Cheers
Bill, thanks for responding! “I will confess up front. Not going to watch the video because the title is patently wrong and click bait.” Yes, I ‘acknowledged’ that in the OP via my statement of: “I would encourage you to watch the video in its entirety and not just depend on the video’s title to formulate your response to the poll; there are plenty of considerations to keep in mind.” “Draft Beer is not pasteurized in The USA, with few exceptions.” It is my understanding that when it comes to craft beer (i.e., non-macro sized breweries) that their packaged (i.e., cans, bottles) are typically not pasteurized either. So, for craft beer there is no difference here in this aspect. “Draft systems that are not set up and maintained correctly…”. From my perspective it is draft maintenance, for example regular and conscientious beer line cleaning, that is a big ‘wild card’ here. Is part of your business to perform regular draft system maintenance? For those beer retailers where you install draft systems but who choose to perform their own maintenance, do they regularly and conscientiously maintain them? I recognize that you can not be aware of every beer retailer in your service area but do you have a guess on how many of those businesses perform draft maintenance well (e.g., a percentage guess)? “…kegs that are improperly handled…” That is a topic I have always wondered about. Over the years I have gotten to know the owners of a number of local craft beer bars and they have all assured me that when they receive deliveries of kegs they immediately place them in their cold rooms and make it a practice to serve them in a timely manner (e.g., less than 45 days upon receipt). But I wonder how well non-craft beer bars/restaurants are in this regard. Do you have any ideas or thoughts here? Cheers! Jack
For the most part, I don't think I can really tell...unless there is something specific about either the bottle or keg. I really enjoy the "hladinka" pours that some local breweries are doing...of course those are for particularly well made lagers already (Equal Parts and sometimes Saint Arnold will do this). Cask is obviously superior for me, again given the condition. Saint Arnold has particularly good casks when available. Bottled conditioning is always something I love. Like some Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, Dupont. A local for me, True Anomaly for somethings, etc. True Anomaly's Belgian Tripel is a good example of this. Originally they were bottled conditioned. I don't thing they did that for the kegs, and for me I could tell a difference. Now they can it, and don't condition it there either. Its still fine, but lost a little bit for me. They still bottle condition their various Saisons though which are great. So, like everything for me, that answer is very much dependent on various things. Though when I go out, I tend to prefer draught. Usually getting a full pint, and can often find and seek out happy hour prices. If all things are equal...like a quality bar that gets fresh stuff, proper pours and glassware...etc. Which all make it more worth while for me when I do go out. Though I can't say one is really "better" than the other outside of my own particular preferences, and some specific situations.
Firstly, thanks for your comprehensive response. I just gotta ask: how did you vote in the poll? Now, as regards Lukr side-pull pours (i.e., "hlladinka") do any of your area beer retailers use those faucets for 'different' sorts of beers? For example, Chris (@zid) recently posted that he drank a Miller High Life poured via a Lukr side-pull faucet and even provided a photo: Cheers!
If there was a neutral option, thats what I would have voted ha...I haven't cast one yet But leaning towards only at a trusted retailer. The Miller High Life on a Lukr pour looks interesting. Equal Parts has done darker lagers, Vienna, Czech Amber lagers, etc. on the Lukr/hlladinka pour. Though nothing too different that you wouldn't expect to see on there. They do half off lagers on the faucet pours on Mondays, and there is always something on (to bad I can't make it out there today ha).
That would have been my guess. Local to me is Von C Brewing and they have four Lukr faucets. They always seem to have a Vienna Lager served via a Lukr and recently they have their Schwarzbier on a Lukr faucet. As you phrased it "nothing too different". I wonder if other breweries (or craft beer bars) that have Lukr faucets in the future might 'think outside the box' and serve a "different" beer style using them? Maybe some day an IPA from a Lukr? I am personally not advocating for this to happen but it seems like breweries are constantly looking for a 'shiny new thing' to keep their fickle customers interested in coming back. Cheers!
I personally have not seen (or heard of) an IPA being served via a Lukr side-pull faucet but like you I would suspect that some 'intrepid' brewery (or craft beer bar) has already done this. If at some later time you recall details of "I think I've heard of this being done" please post those details. Cheers!
Bad/old lines are absolutely a real thing, but they're not something I encounter that often. Assuming I'm not in some oddball restaurant or bar that doesn't give a damn about their beers, I typically prefer draft beer. I find the texture to be better. Less fizzy and more foamy. Obviously there are some styles where bottle conditioning matters, but those are styles I'm pretty unlikely to encounter outside of a hyper-specialty beer spot. Even in those cases, I still often prefer the draft texture and fresher profile.
Had plenty of New England IPAs off a Lukr at Trillium. I’ll try to get a picture next time I get one. I honestly don’t recall if it made much of a difference, but I’ll try to pay more attention next time. This isn’t something they advertise though as a gimmick or selling point, it’s done for efficiency. In particular at their Fenway location they have many Lukrs simply because you can pour faster. On game days that location gets mobbed, and time is money. Their lagers are usually purposefully off Lukrs though, and do taste as expected off one in my opinion.
All things being equal (freshness, cleanliness, etc), my preferences are: 1. cask 2. draft 3. can/bottle
Are they using these Lukr faucets to conduct proper pours? Specifically are they first producing foam and then opening up the faucet to conduct a bottom pour under the foam? You have visited the Czech Republic so you know how these faucets are properly used there. If instead they are just opening (i.e., 'blasting') the faucet for a fast pour then it seems to be these are not genuine Lukr side-pull pours. Cheers!
If I recall they were just ripping them open for speed. I looked when I first heard about this, but I’m not 100% if that’s what they did or still do. I’ll likely head to a Sox game or two this summer so I’ll try to remember to see how they pour.
And since you are an experienced Czech beer drinker you know this is not a proper pour. More akin to how a 'regular' draft faucet works. Cheers!
On a related note, there is a new brewery that opened in Bethlehem, PA: Wishful Thinking Brewing Co. Below is from their website with some emphasis in bold by me. “Foam is Good The cap of foam sitting in the top half of your glass is not just for looks, and is certainly not a flaw. This dense, wet foam is layered with intention on top of your beer, in order to protect the beer from oxidation during the time it takes you to drink it. And don’t worry, we’ve done the math; about 42% of the foam converts to beer. This means that if you let your beer sit for a couple of minutes before sipping, liquid beer will reach the pour line on the glass (10 oz for a half pour and 16+ oz for a full pour). But, we don't suggest letting it sit! Take a big sip and get a mouthful of foam and beer and taste the difference in the pour. This method of pouring originated in the Czech Republic and has been perfected with the incorporation of the Lukr faucet, which allows for dense foam to be poured through a fine mesh screen inside the faucet, and the flow to be controlled by a ball valve. Our draft tower was custom-designed with Lukr during our trip to Czechia in 2023, and we are proud to be pouring a bit of tradition into each glass. In October of 2024, we had the pleasure of hosting Jan and Ondřej from Lukr during their Perfect Pour Mission East Coast Tour, where they visited five breweries including Wishful Thinking, educating staff on proper pouring techniques, traditional styles of pours, cleaning and maintenance of the faucets and glassware, and more. We are now a team of six certified Lukr Tapsters, and we look forward to pouring you a perfect pour during your next visit!” https://www.wishfulthinkingbeer.com/about Na Zdravi
Clearest difference I've ever experienced between draft and bottled beer is Pilsner Urquell. Bottle/can version that is aviable on my market is simply undrinkable. But when I visit Czech Republic then in every restaurant, that beer would be my first choice. Especially, because of that the tank is ALWAYS fresh. Every restaurant has a information with exact time, when tank was opened - it can rotate few times per day.
I too drank Pilsner Urquell draft beer from the tank when I visited the Czech Republic a few years ago: "Outdoor drinking - Open Air Market (Farmers Market) on the banks of the Vltava River Every Saturday morning during our visit there was an open air market on the riverbanks of the Vltava River (which bisects Prague). After we ate breakfast we went for a stroll to see the sights (and of course drink beer). I was amazed to see that even the riverside venues served Tankovna beer: https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Czech_Beers Na Zdravi
