Beer is a most enjoyable beverage and for some, nothing is better than the great taste of beer served straight from the tap. Buying a large tapping system for the home isn’t practical, but now there is an affordable solution to your draft beer desires. It is called the Draftmark Tap System, and it makes it easy to serve beer just like the bartenders at your favorite tavern or restaurant.
How does the Draftmark Tap System Work?:
The Draftmark Tap System is a small device designed to serve a gallon of cold beer from the comforts of home. It consists of a base unit with a battery and charger and requires the separate purchase of a gallon of beer from a Draftmark dealer. The battery is necessary to deliver the needed power to tap the beer and dispense it through the disposable spout, into your glass.
Preparing the Draftmark Tap System requires the insertion of a fully- charged battery along with the gallon of beer. Installing the beer requires that you snap the disposable spout in place first, then insert the container of beer and snap the cover shut. Pulling the tap forward is all it takes to dispense a cold glass of beer into your glass. The container of beer can be removed and stored in the refrigerator for future use, but it is not refillable. It must be replaced with a new container of beer each time you wish to use the Draftmark Tap System.
My Experience:
The Draftmark Tap System is a nice way to enjoy draft- style beer without leaving home and it makes a nice choice of gift for the beer lover who already owns many accessories but would like something that helps serve beer similar to the straight-from-the-keg brew that is readily available in restaurants and bars. The unit is compact in size, has an attractive appearance, and features a cordless operation so it can be taken and operated most anyplace.
This tapping system is a nice idea and one fact that caught me by surprise at first is that you cannot use your own beer. When I first heard about Draftmark, I thought it was nothing more than a pressurized tapping system with a large glass or plastic container in which you poured your own beer. But that isn’t the way it works- you have to purchase containers of beer and that means seeking out a retailer that sells the Draftmark system and refills. At the moment, the beer options are limited to just a handful of choices such as Shock Top Belgian White, Budweiser, Goose Island Honkers Ale, and a few other Anheuser- Busch InBev products. These choices may increase in the future if the system catches on, but the choices are limited for now.
Using the Draftmark Tap System for the first time, I noticed that the amount of foam was greater than expected. However, I also noticed that the foam settles rather quickly and the problem diminishes with each glass you tap. The unit makes a buzzing noise as the beer is tapped and at first it might seem like something is wrong. But the sound is normal so it shouldn’t be a concern.
The beer dispensed from the Draftmark Tap System does taste good and the $15 price for a gallon refill is very reasonable. So, are there any drawbacks to the Draftmark system? Yes, there are a few. For one, the system does not offer any refrigeration of its own. Thus, as you tap each glass of beer, it gradually gets warmer and warmer and for this reason, you need to avoid taking it outdoors on a hot day. Another issue is with the refrigeration of the container. For some reason, the beer isn’t as cold as other beverages taken from my refrigerator- even after a full day of chilling. I can only assume that the container is insulated a little more than necessary and that prevents it from getting as cold as it should.
Another issue is with leftover beer. The company web site doesn’t say much about what to do if you have remaining beer that you want to save for another day but from my own experience, the best solution is to pop out the battery and place the entire unit in the refrigerator. You can pop the container out and store it separately, but as I discovered, this is more hassle than it’s worth. If the disposable spout gets loose, the pressurized beer will start to squirt out of the top of the container. The pressure isn’t extreme, so it is easy to put the spout back into place, but it is still a hassle and that is why I recommend just placing the entire unit into the refrigerator, if space permits.
My Bottom Line:
The Draftmark Tap System is a nice little accessory for beer lovers everywhere and it makes a good choice of gift for the beer fan who already has everything else but would love a new and improved way to dispense and serve his/her beverage of choice. It isn’t perfect and it would be nice if there were more beer options available, but this is still a fun accessory and a great conversation piece for your next party or gathering.
Rating: 7 cheers out of 10
Note: This item was received complements of BzzAgent, in exchange for an honest review.
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