Kegerators
So, a few weeks ago a reader wrote to me asking where in the area he could find a good selection of craft beers to slot into his brand new Kegerator. What’s a Kegerator, you ask? Take a seat, my child, and I shall tell you.
Simple answer: It’s a way to serve draft beer at your house.
More complicated answer: Kegerators will hold and tap a mini-keg, so you can pull yourself a fresh pint of your favorite brew whenever you want. Sure, anybody can get a keg and tap it, but the key to keeping it around for longer than one manic Saturday night is to have something to keep it chilled. Most domestic kegs aren’t pasteurized, so without refrigeration, the beer inside will go stale pretty fast.
I personally don’t have one, but only because I just don’t have the room in my cramped apartment. If I had more room, you can bet I’d be adding one of these to my decor. They’re also a little pricey, running anywhere from $250 or so for a “mini kegerator” that can hold about a 5 liter mini-keg, on up to $1,500 and more for fancy setups that can hold either an entire full-sized keg, or several mini-kegs all at once.
Some folks with more of a DIY bent make their own, using a kegerator conversion kit and an old fridge. For the curious (and handy), here’s how a couple of intrepid souls made their own: here and here.
Your kegerator purchased and/or built (feel free to come build one for me later), now you’ve got to stock it with beer. After surveying the area’s eminences gris for the best spots in town to get or special order kegerator kegs, here’s the cream that floated to the top. Most or all of these do special orders:
DC proper:
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D’Vines in Columbia Heights. (3103 14th NW).
Wine Specialist in near Dupont Circle (22nd/M). I personally can vouch for them, knowledgeable and friendly.
NOVA:
Norm’s Beer and Wine in Vienna. (136 Branch Rd. SE) Norm is, apparently, the man. I hear that if it’s gettable, he can get it.
Total Wine in Springfield. (6801 Bland St.)
Westover Market in Arlington. (5863 N. Washington Blvd.) Extra bonus, they keep their keg lists online here.
Southern MD:
Perfect Pour in Columbia. (6630 Marie Curie Dr.)
Gilly’s Craft Beer and Fine Wine in Rockville. (2009 Chapman Ave.)