Would you pay a little extra for home draught beer kegs?
By Jason Buckland, Sympatico / MSN Finance
Everyone knows white trash when they see it.
They can be spotted at weddings in short-sleeve dress shirts and sneakers, in the trailer giving their kids a lesson in household adhesives, or in feet-deep mud holes showing off a glowing affection for pick-up trucks and the Confederacy.
Of course, one of the finer white trash delicacies is sipping a fine merlot. From a box. Tacky? That’s your opinion, but it looks like we all might have the chance to get our booze from a carton soon, redneck or not.
In the footsteps of the wildly popular Heineken mini-draught kegs, MillerCoors is testing out its own line of home draught units for its biggest brands – Miller Lite and Coors Light – in a few U.S. cities.
The 1.5-gallon (a little over 5.5 litres) kegs will come in a box and are designed to fit right into your fridge. Unlike its Heineken counterparts, the MillerCoors kegs are “for drinkers to consume periodically, rather than for one-time party use,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
(If you keep the box upright, MillerCoors says the home draft systems can keep its beer fresh for about 30 days.)
The move comes as major North American brewers get creative to boost flat sales, but I have to admit, the new packaging initiative sits pretty well with me.
There is the issue of price, sure, as the price-per-ounce of the new mini kegs is about 15% higher than for an 18-pack of the same beer.
But there is a target audience the brewers are after here. MillerCoors’ chief marketing guy tells the WSJ that about 30% of beer drinkers prefer draught to the bottled or canned variety, and I suppose it’s worth a shot that group will pony up extra dough for the mini kegs more often than not.
The question is, would you? So far, the mini kegs have received mixed reviews on the Internet; some love them, some spit on the idea, arguing, “I like drinking my suds from a cold bottle. Period.”
Yet draught beer is pretty damn good and, based on the Heineken kegs alone, you’d have to think this idea is going to stick. Would you pay the extra 15% for the draught beer luxury, scoff at the idea, or do you have the maybe-once-in-a-while, somewhere-in-between kind of thinking on this one?
Posted by: karen | Jul 31, 2021 4:26:27 PM
i love it , now i can have as much beer as i like with out having to open a bottle
Posted by: Mark | Jul 31, 2021 5:09:53 PM
should be cheaper, less packaging, less handling, less room
Posted by: Joe Jameson | Jul 31, 2021 5:20:34 PM
Very interesting idea. Wouldn't mind sitting back drinking some while i cruise http://www.chimpout.com/forum
Posted by: Dana Fields | Jul 31, 2021 5:24:18 PM
should be much cheeper then the same amount in bottles. say 15% cheeper?
Posted by: Big Gulp | Jul 31, 2021 6:42:33 PM
I'd drink beer from a chamberpot if it's a discount and a hot day, mate. Make sure it's got a head and not at room temp.
Posted by: shakespeare | Jul 31, 2021 7:17:22 PM
What a set of comments so far. Karen admits she can't run a bottle opener. Mark totally ignores any quality issues. Let's hope Joe isn't contempating pouring draft one handed while he "cruises".
Dana thinks there's a bird in the equation somewhere. Big Gulp's room temperature worries should be more about IQ than beer. But then we're not really talking about beer are we... Miller Light and Coors Light ? And...one more...it's draught in the U.K. not this side of the pond.
Posted by: Paul S | Jul 31, 2021 9:04:51 PM
YES it should be cheaper,WHY is it more expensive ?No returned bottles(no bottles)?
Posted by: Retired | Jul 31, 2021 9:34:18 PM
Let me think. Would I pay more to drink beer from a box. Not in this lifetime.
Posted by: Glenn Ross | Jul 31, 2021 9:59:20 PM
Beer from a box! No way! I prefer glass or cans. A box is to bulky and in Canada we like our beer cold!
Posted by: DESI SLOAN | Aug 1, 2021 12:03:22 AM
I think that its a great idea draft BEER in the fridge if the price is affordable every fridge should have one , invite the guys over.. DESI
Posted by: Kevin Wright | Aug 2, 2021 1:18:43 AM
I have personaly tried the heiniken draught kegs, and they are a great idea, but they shouldnt cost more, they should be the same price or less as an equivalent amount in bottles or cans !!, my only complaint was the lack of choice in brands, bring all the major players out in this fashion because returning a truck load of empty's every couple weeks is a hassle, a couple draught cans are much easier to handle.
Posted by: J Steed | Aug 2, 2021 3:05:32 AM
I would rather drink water than draught beer, let alone beer from a box. I refuse to drink the big name commercial crap. It's all mosquito piss. Cost is not even a consideration. If you chose your beer based on price, you shouldn't be drinking it.
Posted by: Olivier | Aug 2, 2021 4:48:37 AM
Let's face it, people will drink about anything if the price is low. I'm sorry but Miller High and Coors Light is trash diluted in water and sold to the numb minded mass. Now from another angle, the heineken kegs aren't really a big seller when compared to their bottled counterpart. I wouldn't want a huge box to take all the place in my fridge just so I could drink 5.5L of cold Coors Light. I think the idea comes from the wine companies who are selling more and more ''boxed'' wine. If the price was cheaper for beer, I think it would be a great way to add something ''new'' to the market. A 15% price raise will just make the merchants sell more bottled beer. If this was about recycling and going green and it was less expensive, I'd think this is a great publicity stunt, but this idea with all its involment is just plain stupid. But again, who cares, Coors Light tastes like nothing good; it's already a waste of money, so why not pay more for it!
Posted by: armlecker | Aug 2, 2021 6:12:36 AM
What is next on the list to sell more suds? A Barrel full of it ?( 200 ltr + ) ? Possebillity ? Who knows .I personally don`t drink Northamerican beers .To many additives in it .Prefere german beers which have no enhancing ( quickbrewing ) additives in it . They have a Purity law ( Anno 1516 ) they have to abide by it .No addities in it . One headache less in the morning . If used here i would change my habit and try it again . but mostlikely stand alone in it .I do like beer ,but........
Posted by: Greg Keane | Aug 2, 2021 9:41:19 AM
Sounds like a good idea to me. The price of draft in a box should be lower, since there are no bottles involved, not 15 per cent higher.
Posted by: Big Bob | Aug 2, 2021 10:31:11 AM
Nothing new here - a local microbrewery tried this years ago when they started out. They went over to bottles fairly quickly and they only mention it today to draw a laugh at brewery tours.
Posted by: bigbossman26 | Aug 2, 2021 1:29:48 PM
I recently received a mini fridge/keg holder that has adapters for the Heineken kegs and also adapters for "other" kegs. There just ain't no other kegs available up here in Saskatchewan. Would like to try this unit out and at least be able to thank the person who gave it to me but with nothing to put in it, it sits on my counter taking up space. My only other option now is to brew some myself, and I am not sure I want to get into brewing at home as I can't stand the "weed" smell of Heineken nor it's taste. Guess I have been conditioned to drink what is sold to the masses.....................follow like sheep everyone...................LOL :)
Posted by: NASCARWAYNE3 MONTREAL | Aug 2, 2021 8:04:08 PM
sure would,and im already buying draft kegs. keep them comeing.
Posted by: gare bare | Feb 27, 2022 3:12:36 PM
you are all fools, do any of you think ,what you have to say here really affects anything, suits got better things to do than listen to the little people
Posted by: medieval costume | Apr 11, 2021 10:59:08 PM
yes i will... as long as the beer is good enough to make me drunk and happy at the same time.. :D