submitted by New Hope Beverage

Each year, right around this time, people all around the country are beginning to fire up their grills and start to get their pool clean for the warm months.

With the family cookout and neighborhood swim party comes my best friend, beer.

Beers and malt beverages can be the center point of any party. And by that I mean family and guest will usually circle themselves around the food and drinks.

When you are able to find the right balance of draft, micro bottles and alternative malt beverages, like Mikes Lemonade and Twisted Tea, you create an environment everyone will enjoy.

Here are a few tips on putting together your party.

Kegs – Nothing says a party like a keg. When ordering a keg keep in mind how many people you will have. A half keg a beer gives 30 people six 12-ounce beers. A quarter keg will give 15 people six 12-ounce beers. There are also 1/6 kegs available. These hold about 55 12-ounce beers.  These kegs are usually for micro and craft breweries.  Generally when buying a keg you will save a good amount of money but keep in mind you are committing to one flavor of beer per keg and the money you save will be spent on cups, ice and deposit on the keg itself and the taps

Micro Ales – Having a variety of micro and craft beers at a get together can add much to the night. A good craft ale can start off many conversations. Where does the beer come from? How did you hear about it? You can compare different hops, malts and overall flavors. If wine and cheeses can have their own party, I say craft beers can have a night for themselves as well. 

Ice – Simply put all parties need ice. After working in the business for almost a decade I have learned one very important tip. Ice will melt, buy another bag. I have seen way too many customers leave with five bags of ice just to come back in an hour to get 10 more. Generally speaking it is cheap and easy to get, available at just about every store.  Remember that we recommend three 16-pound bags of ice for every keg. Plan on at least a bag and a half of ice per cooler (that’s with a 12-pack in it). And if you are doing mixed drinks, try to have about a pound of ice per guest for mixed drinks.