Every glass is brand new.

Unlike old school techniques of wine preservation, wine in kegs is protected from oxygen since it is stored in a closed system. Even after ‘gassing,’ the next day pours from an opened bottle, especially sparkling wines (and guests don’t request an Aperol No-Spritz!), Are never as bright.

There are several types of kegs on the market, but they all work to keep air from damaging the wine – and, by extension, the guest’s pleasure. Stainless steel kegs and certain one-way kegs have stems running from the coupler connected to the bottom of the keg (like a long straw). The wine is driven down and up through the stem by inert gas pumped into the top of the keg. Freshness is harmed by the absence of oxygen in inert gas. Some kegs, such as KeyKeg, include a gas-impervious bag that holds the wine within. Any type of gas (including air) is injected into the keg between the inner wall and the exterior of the bag, squeezing the bag and forcing wine through the faucet.

Put an end to Corked Wine

Corked wine is easy to spot if your personnel thoroughly inspects every bottle with a natural cork. When you have the time to look for it, that cardboard, moldy odor is unmistakable. And, let’s face it, busy bartenders don’t always have the luxury of doing so. Cork failure can cause oxidation in wine, giving it a weary, unpleasant, or vinegary flavor. In the past, cork failure might occur in as many as one out of every 12 bottles of wine. The industry has worked hard to address this, but it still occurs (and if it does, make sure you obtain credit for those faulty bottles otherwise those losses will be deducted from your earnings!). Because kegs don’t have corks, this is never an issue with draft wine.

Increased Margin

When operators extract BTG from a wine keg rather than bottles, the calculation is easy. The cost per ounce of kegged wine is cheaper than that of bottled wine, especially if splits are used. Operators frequently employ splits to reduce losses from end-of-night half bottles of Prosecco, but the per-ounce cost is through the roof! Sparkling wine in kegs is far less expensive.

When conducting BTG specials, this means bigger margins without rising prices, or the same margins. Corked wine equates to waste, which has a direct influence on profit margins. When you have to comp a new glass because the wine is tainted, it affects both your bottom line and your reputation.