On tap: Dispensers keep the drinks flowing and at just the right temperature

And you thought taps in the kitchen were only for water. Some brilliant people have decided there should also be taps for beer, wine and 5 o’clock cocktails.

For as little as $730, a home beer dispenser or kegerator (a portmanteau of keg and refrigerator) will ensure your favourite draught beer is available on demand with the gentle pull of a tap on the kitchen counter.

Beerworx in southeast Calgary sells and rents home dispensers of various capacities, from units that hold a pair of 19-litre kegs or full size 50-litre kegs. Some fit under standard cabinetry, whether it be in the kitchen, an adjacent wet bar or special space such as a butler’s pantry. Owner Tanner Van Ameringen says for people who want more variety and more than two taps, Beerworx can install long draw systems where the beer kegs are elsewhere in the home.

“This would be run the same way it would be in a bar. The kegs in the fridge could be in the basement and we would run lines to a faucet in the kitchen or a wet bar off the kitchen,” he says.

The system is pressurized with C02 and keeps the keg contents fresh and carbonated for an average of 60 days. Installation on the $730 entry-level unit is $150 for Calgary customers, but Van Ameringen says a homeowner could easily do it themselves. Kegs of beer are available at liquor stores, often upon request, and from most local breweries.

Then there are dispensers that pour wine by the glass. While that sounds like a magical genie just granted your fondest wish, dispensers are more than just convenient. They’re a solution for casual wine drinkers who might enjoy a glass once every other week.

After opening, red wine should be consumed within three to five days and white, even in the fridge, is good for barely a week. A wine dispenser will preserve opened wine for a minimum of five weeks. Nitrogen or argon gas protects the wine from being altered by oxygen.

“For people who travel and especially wine connoisseurs, they can open fancier wines and not have to finish the bottle. They can enjoy it two weekends in a row,” says Bruno Gerv es of wine dispenser retailer Enostore.

Enostore has two-, four-, six- and eight-bottle dispensers that control the temperature of individual bottles. Red and white wines (not sparkling) can be accommodated in the same machine, keeping a crisp Chardonnay at an even 6 C, while the Merlot next to it remains a tasty 18 C — or whatever one’s preferred red wine temperature might be.

Two bottle dispensers are easy to install but anything larger requires an Enostore technician. Prices start at $4,000 and are available through Gerves via the Enostore website.

Beer and wine on demand is alluring, but other beverages can be dispensed just as easily. Pre-mixed cocktails, like Caesars, for example. Simply salt the rim, throw in celery and enjoy. Kombucha (a fermented, effervescent drink with purported health benefits), which can be purchased in kegs, and craft sodas like those from local makers Grizzly Paw Brewing Co. or Annex are popular non-alcoholic choices.

“You can get a six-, 10- or 19-litre keg and fill it with whatever you want and dispense it from your system,” Van Ameringen says.