Revolutionary one-way keg technology quadruples life of beer once tapped
AB InBev, through its Global Innovation and Technology Center (GITEC), is introducing PureDraught™, a one-way, polymer keg system that keeps beer fresher up to four times longer than a traditional steel keg and reduces the carbon footprint of shipping beer – all while offering more versatility and variety for bar and restaurant owners.
While beer delivered in a traditional steel keg is still preferred for beers produced and consumed locally or regionally, it produces a number of costly logistical and environmental issues that are magnified when shipped internationally. First, there’s the expense of the keg itself, then shipping it to its destination via ocean vessel, locating and returning it via that same vessel months later, as well as the impact on the global carbon footprint of moving heavy steel kegs across the globe twice. Meanwhile, once the beer is tapped at its destination, the clock starts ticking on the beer’s peak freshness of 7 to 10 days.
AB InBev’s GITEC division offers a solution to both problems with PureDraught™. Using a custom-molded, double-walled, bottle-in-bottle polymer keg, PureDraught™ allows air or gas to be fed into the outer bottle, which keeps its shape and pushes the beer out of the inner bottle. This innovation prevents any air or dispense gas from touching the beer, allowing the beer to remain fresh for 30 days after being tapped instead of just a week.
Currently, PureDraught™ is in use with AB InBev brands in over six countries, including the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, China, Italy and South Korea. PureDraught™ will be rolling out nationwide in the U.S. later this year, providing the best pour of brands like Stella Artois. It also debuted in Colombia and additional areas of Europe, Africa, and Japan this spring.