One Thing Both Microbreweries & Brew Pubs Need

After a long day at work sharing a beer with friends or family members is one of the best ways to relax. In the last years, more and more people are turning to craft beers, which are enhanced with delicious flavours that set them apart from the average beer. As the craft beer movement is gaining momentum, beer drinkers are moving from bars to microbreweries and brewpubs, in their search for the perfect brew. Despite the fact microbreweries and brewpubs might sound like two different words for the same establishment, the two are quite different.

The Difference Between Microbreweries and Brew Pubs

As craft beers become more popular, microbreweries and brewpubs that serve them also gain popularity. A microbrewery is focused on the production of beer, making the brew for on-site consumption or for distribution. A brew pub is a microbrewery which has a pub where consumers can enjoy the latest beers. Both venues offer the consumer the opportunity to taste unique craft beers, as the producer of the beer can try different infusions and ingredients.

The One Item Both Microbreweries and Brew Pubs Need

As every brewery owner knows, the pleasure of drinking a craft beer right where it was produced, from the tap, is doubled when you can buy a selection of bottled craft beers. This is why many venues require a commercial bottle cooler, where they can display their beers and keep them at the best serving temperature.

Even when you brew for local, on-site consumption, you do need a bar chiller, which keeps the bottled craft beer at the perfect consumption temperature and allows you to display all your craft beers. The typical consumer who patrons a microbrewery or a brewpub comes for the tap beer, but there is a growing market for bottled craft beers.

Another reason both types of venues need a high quality back bar cooler is to store soft drinks and other refreshments. As an entrepreneur, you want to cater to a wide range of consumers, so expect your brewery to be visited by families, as well as people who don't drink alcoholic beverages. Having a well-supplied commercial bottle cooler with a selection of soft drinks and mixers is going to encourage a wide array of customers to visit your establishment. Because microbreweries and brew pubs have an authentic, cosy atmosphere, you might notice people who come to your venue to have a good time, even if they don't drink beer. 

How to Choose the Best Bar Cooler for your Brewery

Gamko MG2/275SD Bottle Cooler (left) and Gamko MG2/275GCS Bottle Cooler (right)

No bar is complete without a bar chiller, so knowing what to look for in a high quality bottle fridge is essential. When you are selling craft beer, storing the brew at the right temperature is essential. Craft beer has unique flavours and texture, which can only be preserved at a specific temperature.

There are many types of bar chillers on the market, each one with its own features.

The first thing you need to evaluate is the size of the cooler. There are walk-in coolers, cold rooms or cellar cooling designed for breweries which need to store barrels, commercial refrigerators, which are designed to store temperature-sensitive food and beer coolers, designed especially for storing beer.

A good back bar cooler also saves you space, while offering accessibility. Depending on your needs, you can choose between sliding doors and hinged doors. In a microbrewery or brew pub you can benefit from the sliding doors, which are space savers and allow you to keep an eye on the stock at all times.

Depending on the size of the establishment and the type of people who visit it, you need to decide the capacity of the fridge. A small bar back cooler might be the right option for a small microbrewery if you want to keep the bottled craft beer in an easy to access place. If you sell more bottles and you have regular customers who bring their families to your brewery, you might need a larger cooler. A medium or large bar fridge is going to keep both the beer and other types of beverages at the best serving temperature and allow you to display them for your clients.

The design of your microbrewery or pub also matters when you decide which commercial bottle cooler to buy. There are small coolers which can be placed under the bar or on top of the bar, as well as the tall coolers which feature glass doors to allow the customer to see what is inside.

Both microbreweries and brewpubs need a bar fridge, either for storing bottled craft beer that is to be sold to clients, either to store other refreshments, for the clients who don't drink beer. Take a look at the available bar coolers and choose the one which fits your business best.