TAP THAT
Wine
Keg
Why bars and restaurants
are embracing wine on tap
By Kelly A. Magyarics
Reed and Greenough in San
Francisco features a tap system
from Free Flow Wines.
18
| OCTOBER 2013
www.cheersonline.com
PAT MAZZERA
L
ike boxed wine on store shelves, kegged wines in bars and
restaurants can be a tough sell at first. Consumers are
often suspicious about the quality and taste of any wine
that's offered on tap.
But operators have several compelling reasons for serving wine
from a kegged system. One is the taste: Since the wine isn't exposed
to air, it's always fresh. It's more cost effective for operators to sell
wine on tap, so if they pass on the savings to the customer, it's a
better value. And since it reduces the need for multiple bottles and
corks, kegged wine is an eco-friendly option.
Todd Rushing, partner for the 11 concepts of the Atlanta-based
Concentrics Restaurants, wanted to offer guests wines on tap at
Two Urban Licks in 2004. After chatting with winemakers and
determining it could be done, he installed a system in the 493-seat
Atlanta restaurant that focuses on "fiery American cuisine."
Originally the wine-on-tap system at Two Urban Licks was
an adaptation of beer equipment. "Once it became a 'thing,'
people started making wine-specific material, which has been
wonderful," says Rushing.
The operator's innovative wine program today consists of
stainless steel barrels—used for all wines except those that are
sparkling—displayed in a 26-ft. glass-and-steel, temperature-
