Is there a term that provokes more scowls and eye-rolls these days than “bottle service”? Though brand-new clubs opening mid-recession still are offering it (Dream, Theatro) and others still are requiring it just to sit down (Crescendo, Manor, Sub 51), we’re happy to see the rise of a more accessible group-guzzling option: beer service.
The idea of beer-in-bulk isn’t new in itself; bars such as Lion Head and Finn McCool’s have been doing it for years with their table tappers. But now, a handful of spots are tweaking the concept with cooling contraptions, while others are cracking out the good old-fashioned keg. Whatever the appeal — the novelty of having your own personal keg or the chance to save cash or trips to the bar — we’re just glad it’s beer.
Faith & Whiskey
1365 W. Fullerton Ave. 773-248-9119
Longing to tap into keg-party memories from your college days? This Lincoln Park bar’s new Kick the Keg Sundays special comes close. Roll in during business hours (5 p.m.-2 a.m.) with at least three pals, and your server will wheel out a pony keg packed with ice inside a metal trashcan. It’s not self-serve (that means no keg stands, people), but your server will stop by to keep your pitcher appropriately filled. We give the staff here props for swapping out glassware with bright blue Solo cups, a timeless house-party tradition.
Brews: Miller Lite ($20 a person; minimum four people)
Size: 7.75 gallons, or 992 ounces
Price per ounce: That depends on how much you drink.
Savings: Since a 16-ounce Miller Lite draft from the bar costs $4, you’ll be saving only if you drink more than five rounds. On a Sunday. And in case you’re wondering, each keg pours about 62 16-ounce servings.
Division Ale House
BEST VALUE
1942 W. Division St. 773-384-6886
It hasn’t taken long for the beer coolers at this 2-week-old Wicker Park pub to catch on; stop in on a Friday night and you’ll see them dotting tables both inside and on the sidewalk patio. Kept frosty with a core of ice, each cooler (pictured right) is set on a Lazy Susan-style base so you can spin the tap your way when you’re ready to pour.
Brews: Bud Light ($16; $10 on Mondays); Goose Island and Harp ($20); Guinness, Boddingtons, Stella Artois or Smithwick’s ($24)
Size: 80 ounces
Price per ounce: From 20 cents an ounce for Bud Light to 30 cents an ounce for Guinness
Savings: These 80-ounce towers pour five 16-ounce pints for the price of four, so you’ll save $4-$6.
The Red Canary
695 N. Milwaukee Ave. 312-846-1475
Co-owner Shane Hudson put mini-kegs on the menu at his recently opened lounge after catching wind of their popularity in New York bars. “It’s a fun option for groups who don’t want to spend all kinds of money on bottle service, and you don’t have to fight to get to the bar,” he says. Mini-kegs are brought out with the pomp and circumstance of bottle service — in a stainless steel tub filled with ice, with the first round poured by your server — and the bar has sold upwards of 25 in the two weeks they’ve been open.
Brews: Heineken, Newcastle and three German options, Kulmbacher Kapuziner Weissbier and EKU Pils, plus Stiegl Goldbrau (all $65)
Size: 5 liters, or 170 ounces
Price per ounce: 38 cents
Savings: Negligible. Since 12-ounce bottles are $5 from the bar and each keg pours about 12 14-ounce glasses, the per-ounce price difference is just a few pennies.
Bull & Bear
431 N. Wells St. 312-527-5973
When this River North bar opened its sidewalk patio, it wanted an outdoor beer-in-bulk option that could complement its indoor booths boasting in-table taps. And so the “bear-el” was born: a smaller version of an old-fashioned wooden barrel with a stainless steel and rubber core for insulation. (Side note: You might also be amused by the fact that you can take one of these custom-made babies home (empty) for a lean $300. Hey, at least they’re dishwasher-safe … )
Brews: Bud Light, Goose Island Summertime, Goose Island 312, Bass, Shiner Bock, Hoegaarden and Stella Artois (all $30)
Size: 60 ounces
Price per ounce: 50 cents
Savings: None. The convenience of keeping your beer cold on the patio will cost you here. Because these 60-ounce mini-kegs pour about four 16-ounce pints, you’re actually paying more than if you bought, say, four Bud Light pints for $4 each ($16 total).
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Lisa Arnett is the nightlife and shopping producer.
lmarnett@tribune.com
