Truth: Draft is Better than Bottled Beer

Many people are picky with their beer. They insist on never drinking canned beer, and certainly wouldn't be caught dead drinking a draft beer. Look, I'm picky with my beer, but I know what I'm talking about (as it comes to beer). Fact is, draft beer is better than bottled beer. The only reason you got a headache from that draft you drank at a keg party is because you drank 40 of those red plastic solo cups full. Slow down, tiger! There are 3 undeniable reasons why draft rules!

1. Light - When light strikes through a glass bottle to the liquid inside, it changes the flavor. The beer bitters. For some beers, this has become their draw or nitch. Most common examples of this nitch marketing are Corona or Heineken. Both are fairly bitter out of the bottle, but have you seen either of those on tap? If you do, its rare. Ask the bartender to pour you a glass. Both taste more like a Bud Light. They are much more bland out of the tap because there is not enough time for light to bitter the flavor. This is why most bottlers use brown bottles -to block light. Corona and Heineken are bottled to let light taint their flavoring.


2. Temperature - When kegs are transported, they are transported in refrigerated trucks. Bottled beer, however is not always so fortunate. We have all heard how hot and cold temperature changes will bitter (skunk) beer.

3. Air - Beer doesn't come in a potato chip bag. Bottlers are very good about not leaving much air in those bottles. However, they cannot remove it all. The little bit of air trapped in the top does bitter the flavor.

Think about soda. Can you tell the difference between a soft drink you buy from tap verses one from a bottle? Or closer consideration may be wine. Go wine tasting at a vineyard. The wine out of the tap is exactly what the brewer had intended. The brew master likely spent hords of time cooking, adding yeast and whey, fermenting, then when it was ready he poured a glass and heavily sighed, 'Ahhhh! It is ready!'

In light of all these points, I have had one person give me a good reason draft beer is not as good as bottled. That would be if the restaurant didn't keep their tap lines clean. That is just poor servicing of the system, and cannot be a standard argument.

Lastly, if these 3 conditions are all met in the form of a can, it could be safe to say that can is the best choice of all. It is basically a teeny tiny keg in your hand! Quite a modern marvel! Also then, at least we wouldn't have to worry about dirty old tap lines.

**Photo was taken at Columbia's Cock & Bull Pub where taps are always clean and beer always tastes better! Left-Right- One of the owners, Steve-o and fabulous bartender Donny