What is different?
An in-house batch lets you choose and change every ingredient, then store and serve it through your own process. A Craft Standard keg arrives with a non-alcoholic mixer base. You add the measured spirit at your licensed venue and dispense the finished build through a checked draft installation. It is not a premixed alcoholic keg.
| Decision | In-house batching | Craft Standard mixer keg |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe flexibility | Control every ingredient and change the recipe between batches. | Start with the supplied base; keep your own spirit brand. Confirm adaptations before filling. |
| Preparation | Measure, blend, store and identify your batch. | Measure and add spirit through the Spiker, identify the finished keg and commission the line. |
| Service | Pour the batch, then complete ice, garnish and any remaining steps. | Dispense from the tap, then complete ice, garnish and service. Measure the whole order time. |
| Equipment | Suitable containers, chilled storage and your chosen serving method. | Sankey D connection plus compatible line, cooling, gas and cleaning arrangements. |
| Holding and loss | Follow your approved recipe and storage procedure. Measure unsold volume. | Follow SKU-specific unopened and prepared-product instructions. Measure line and service loss. |
| Cost | Your ingredients, bottles, waste and all process labor. | Mixer, spirits, accessory if needed, freight, waste and all process labor. |
When batching can be the better choice
Keep in-house batching for rotating recipes, low-volume specials, ingredient experiments or a venue without a suitable draft installation. If the preparation is already reliable and fast enough, the pilot needs to show a concrete improvement before you give the drink a tap handle.
When to test a keg
Test one high-volume recipe that repeatedly holds up service. A venue with a suitable existing line can assess the mixer keg without changing its entire menu. Keep your chosen spirit and compare matched shifts. A short pour video cannot establish labor savings, guest satisfaction or total throughput on its own.
Put both methods on the same cost basis
For the standard build, 20 L of mixer plus 9 L of spirits makes about 29 L finished. At 4 US fl oz per finished pour that is about 245 drinks before losses. Nine liters is twelve 750 mL bottles, not nine.
Example assumptions: $155 mixer, twelve $25 bottles and no freight means $455 of ingredients. At an assumed 5% loss, 232 saleable 4 oz drinks cost about $1.96 each before garnish, labor and overhead. For batching, add your actual ingredient costs and divide by its measured saleable drinks. The keg is not automatically the less expensive method.
Sample drink
At a 4 US fl oz finished pour, the build yields about 245 gross drinks, or 232 saleable drinks with your 5% loss assumption. Spirit and base proportions above describe the finished recipe, not extra liquid to add after the pour.
Cost calculator
16% pour cost · ExcellentEstimate only. Keg cost per serve is $0.67; your spirit adds $1.29. Edit any figure to match your account. The default 5% loss and $25 per 750 mL bottle are assumptions, not measured results. Contribution here excludes labor, garnish, tax and overhead; it is not net profit.
Account for labor and waste
Record preparation, replenishment, service and cleaning minutes for each method. Multiply total minutes by the loaded hourly rate and divide by 60. For example, 30 minutes at an assumed $24 per hour costs $12; that is a calculation example, not a measured Craft Standard saving. Use actual timings and reconcile sold drinks with prepared and discarded liquid.
What should you ask before ordering?
- Which mixer SKU, spirit addition and finished pour are being quoted?
- What gas, cooling, line and cleaning checks does this installation need?
- What written storage and prepared-product instructions apply?
- What are the actual delivered cost, accessory requirements and lead time for your ZIP code?
Check the setup · Review the Margarita keg · Ask for a venue-specific quote