If you’re a bar or restaurant owner, you have probably heard about or even considered adding nitro taps as demand for complex and flavorful craft brews continues to grow.

But how much do you know about nitrogen beers and the qualities that set them apart from other brews? Here’s a nitro beer Q&A to get you started.

What is “nitro beer”?

The term “nitro” refers to nitrogen – the gas used to carbonate certain kinds of craft beers. Most nitrogen beers contain a mix of gases – typically 30 percent carbon dioxide and 70 percent nitrogen. One distinguishing characteristic of a nitro brew is its distinctive head – the result of nitrogen’s inability to dissolve in liquid (Guinness – an Irish Stout – is perhaps the most well-known nitro brew).

What nitro beer varieties are available?

Most of the nitro beers available today tend to be malt heavy stouts and porters rather than IPAs, because nitrogen typically responds better to grain-based brewing. But that is starting to change as brewers search for new and exciting ways to create products that will stand out from the crowd. Cream ales, nitro IPAs, and double altbeirs have recently started to become more commonplace.

What do I need to add to my bar if I want to offer nitro brews?

If you’re considering adding a nitro tap to your bar, you will need to invest in three things: a system to deliver blended nitrogen gas, a creamer faucet ( a specialized tap for nitrogen beer) and glassware made for nitro brew pours. The spout of a creamer faucet includes hundreds of small holes that filter the beer as it pours, creating the creamy, thick head your customers are looking for.

Spread the word with TapHunter

If you choose to jump into the world of nitrogen beer, be sure to spread the word to your customers so they can get their unique nitro brew experience from you rather than your competitors in the months and years to come. Registering with a beer-hunting app like TapHunter is a great way to get on the map (literally!) with beer connoisseurs in Buffalo, Rochester, and beyond!

Ready to jump into nitro beer crafting for your bar or restaurant? The beer experts at Irish Carbonic can help, with custom nitrogen tap installations, blended gas cylinders and onsite gas blending solutions, and ongoing beer tap maintenance services once your system is up and running. Contact us to learn more, or to request a FREE, no obligation estimate on a nitrogen beer tap installation today!

Tired of serving up the same-old drinks at your Buffalo- or Rochester-area restaurant or bar? We’ve got a sure-fire solution that will add a little flavor to your fall drinks menu: bulk beverage syrups from Irish Carbonic.

Irish Carbonic offers a full range of syrups and flavored drinks for just about any container or delivery system, including bottles, ultrapack cartridges, bag-in-box, and more. Not set up to take on these delicious drinks? We can help you there, too, with professional beverage system installation and maintenance service for the full gamut of dispensing systems, plus beverage grade bulk CO2 deliveries and more.

Our bulk beverage products include:

• Juices — Our 100 percent juice, juice blends and juice drink products are available in a wide range of flavors in bag-in-box, ultra pack cartridges and bottles.
• Sodas — From Royal Crown Cola (RC Cola) to Dr. Pepper/7-Up products, we’ve got it all in both post-mix bag-in-box and Figal containers (premix Figal containers are also available). We also feature the full line of Johnnie Ryan beverages—a cane-sugar-sweetened line of syrups and fountain mixers made locally in Western New York.
• Frozen Mixes — We feature the full line of Royale Brands frozen mixes for your margaritas, mojitos, and other cocktails, available for use in your blender or jet spray beverage dispenser.
• Sparkling Ice — Sparkling Iced teas, lemonades, waters and essence drinks in more than 20 fruitful flavors are available.

Add a splash of flavor to your bar or restaurant with delicious beverage syrups from Irish Carbonic – or let us install or maintain your dispensing equipment to keep the drinks flowing, properly carbonated, crisp, and fresh all fall and winter long. Contact us to learn more or to get a FREE, no obligation estimate on a beverage system installation today!

The holiday season – especially New Year’s Eve – is a huge night for a restaurant or bar owner. It’s a time of year when you definitely need a “Plan B” – or even a Plan C – if your beer line goes down or your run out of bulk CO2.

At Irish Carbonic, we’ve got the alphabet covered.

We pride ourselves in protecting your reputation by keeping your taps up and running right. A healthy bar means happy customers, which means more money in your pocket (who doesn’t want that?).

As we push through the holiday season and into 2018, remember that you’re always a phone call away from a local, family-owned business that specializes in round-the-clock service for your bar or restaurant (or any other business that needs bulk CO2, dry ice, or any of our other products or services).

Best of all, you’ll get a live person 24/7/365 when you call our emergency number, so you can rest easy knowing that your downtime will be minimal.

Get peace of mind with there whenever you need us service from Irish Carbonic. Operators are standing by 24/7/365 for your bulk CO2 refills, beer line service and more – Contact us today to learn more.

September is flying by us here in Rochester and Buffalo – bad news if you like the summer, but good news if you’re a beer fan. It could be great news for your bar or restaurant, too – IF your beer taps are up to the Oktoberfest challenge.

Make sure they are with expert beer line cleaning from Irish Carbonic.

Our 10-point beer line cleaning system will virtually eliminate microorganism buildup and mineral deposits. The result? Clean, crisp, delicious tap pours every time, with just the right amount of CO2 fizz.

Our Beer Division Experts will:

• Flush your beer lines with biodegradable cleaning solution
• Rinse your beer lines with fresh water
• Clean each tap faucet and its surrounding area
• Check all connections and fittings
• Check your walk-in cooler temperature
• Check your glycol temperature and level
• Check all pressure settings
• Clean your glycol chiller condensers
• Ensure that your beer is pouring correctly
• Provide 24/7/365 service and assistance

Beer gas blends also available

Of course not all beer is carbonated using carbon dioxide alone; some varieties (stouts, for example) use a blend of CO2 and nitrogen to get the finish they’re famous for. If you serve nitro beers, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered there, too, with mixed gas cylinders and onsite gas blending solutions for your beverage-serving business.

Your customers may not be able to make it to Munich this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy Oktoberfest on this side of the pond. Keep their glasses raised with fine pours from clean beer lines – courtesy of the beer line experts at Irish Carbonic. Contact us today for details.

Prost!