Beer was among the first beverages served in bars and pubs around the world, and it’s sure to be the last. After you’ve chosen the beer for your menu, you have to know how much to stock so you don’t run out! Here is a list of what you need (and how much).
| Type of Beer | Bar Stock | Inventory/Storage | Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular, domestic | 1 case | 10 cases | The big three brands are Budweiser, Miller, and Coors. |
| Light, domestic | 1 case | 10 cases | Stock the light version of the domestic beers you serve. |
| Regular, imported | 1 case | 10 cases | Corona, St. Pauli Girl, Heineken, Guinness, Becks, and so on |
| Light, imported | 12 bottles | 5 cases | Corona Light, Heineken Light, Molson Light |
| Microbrew, domestic | 1 case | 10 cases | Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island, and so on |
| Craft brew | 1 case | 10 cases | Talk to your local distributor for suggestions. |
| Nonalcoholic | 6 bottles | 1 case | O’Doul’s, Cutter, Haakebeck |
| Hard cider | 1 case | 4 cases | Woodchuck, Angry Orchard, Crispin, Strongbow |
| Red Bull or other energy drinks | 6 cans | 1 case | Okay, technically, Red Bull is not a beer or even a malt beverage, but it is usually stocked with the beer. |
You may have noticed that kegs aren’t mentioned in this list. There’s a good reason for this. Although kegs do contain beer, they’re a different animal.
You need to have one keg connected to each of your taps (preferably with a corresponding tap handle that makes it easy to see what you’re pouring), plus at least one backup keg for each kind of beer you sell. Notice it was not said for each tap.
You may be pouring Miller Lite, for example, at three different taps, two inside and one outside, during the warm months. You may not necessarily need to keep three backup kegs if you don’t use beer at all those stations quickly.
You’ll have to judge how quickly you go through kegs in a week. Most places order beer once or twice a week because they just don’t have the space to store more than that
