Not Just Beer: 7 Drinks Your Guests Will Absolutely Lose Their Minds Over When You Serve Them on Tap

You bought the kegerator. You've mastered the perfect pour. And now you're staring at that beautiful tap handle wondering — does it have to be beer every single time?

Absolutely not.

The keg-and-tap setup you already own (or are about to own) is one of the most versatile beverage delivery systems ever invented. Bars, coffee shops, wedding venues, and backyard entertainers across the US are waking up to the fact that the magic of a tap isn't about beer — it's about experience. A drink that comes out of a tap just feels special. It's theatrical. It's efficient. And it keeps your guests coming back to the table all night long.

Here are seven non-beer beverages worth kegging at your next gathering.

1. Cold Brew Coffee

Nitro cold brew — the kind with that gorgeous, cascading Guinness-like pour — has become a coffee shop staple, but it's surprisingly easy to replicate at home or at a café counter. Cold brew is served using nitrogen gas rather than CO2, which gives it that velvety, low-acid texture and creamy head.

You'll need a nitrogen tank and a stout faucet (the kind with a restrictor plate inside) instead of a standard beer tap. Kegged cold brew stays fresh for two to three weeks refrigerated, making it a killer option for brunch parties, office setups, or weekend farmers markets. Guests who've never had nitro cold brew on tap will genuinely be amazed.

Pro tip: Use a 2.5-gallon Cornelius (corny) keg — it's the perfect size for a batch of cold brew and easy to clean.

2. Hard Cider

Hard cider is a natural fit for keg service since it's already carbonated and behaves a lot like beer in a pressurized system. Use a standard CO2 setup with a ball lock or pin lock corny keg for homemade batches, or check whether your favorite commercial cider brand comes in a half-barrel or sixth-barrel keg (many do).

Cider tends to carbonate at slightly lower pressures than most beers — aim for around 8 to 10 PSI at 38°F. It's a fantastic option for guests who don't drink beer, and it pairs beautifully with fall and winter party themes. Bonus: it's gluten-free, which more and more party guests genuinely appreciate.

3. Kombucha

Yes, you can keg kombucha — and yes, it's every bit as good as it sounds. Kombucha is naturally carbonated through fermentation, which means it needs careful handling. The key challenge is managing pressure carefully to avoid over-carbonation. Many kombucha brewers keep their kegs at 5 to 8 PSI and store them cold from the moment they're kegged.

Sanitation is especially important here since kombucha is a live culture drink — thoroughly clean and sanitize your lines and keg before each use. The payoff? A rotating tap of ginger-lemon or blueberry-lavender kombucha is the kind of thing wellness-minded guests talk about for weeks.

4. Pre-Batched Cocktails

This one is a true game-changer for entertaining. Pre-batch a crowd-favorite cocktail — think margaritas, palomas, sangria, or a classic whiskey sour — in large quantities, chill it overnight, and serve it straight from the tap at your party. No bartending required, no ice dilution inconsistencies, no one asking you to make "just one more" while you're trying to enjoy yourself.

For still cocktails, you can use a low-pressure CO2 setup (2 to 4 PSI) just to push the liquid through the lines without over-carbonating it. Or intentionally carbonate your cocktail for a sparkling version — a sparkling margarita on tap is genuinely one of the most impressive party moves you can make.

Keep sugar content and citrus levels in mind: high-acid or high-sugar drinks can be harder on your lines and require more frequent cleaning.

5. Sparkling Water

Hear us out on this one. A dedicated sparkling water tap is the kind of thing guests notice immediately and appreciate all night. It's the perfect option for designated drivers, non-drinkers, and anyone pacing themselves between rounds. Keg-dispensed sparkling water is also dramatically cheaper than buying cases of canned seltzer.

All you need is a CO2 tank, a regulator, a corny keg filled with filtered water, and a standard faucet. Carbonate to 30–40 PSI for a few hours (or overnight for best results), then drop the serving pressure to 10–12 PSI. Add a wedge of lemon at the tap and you've got a classy, sustainable sparkling water station.

6. Sparkling Wine and Rosé

Serving sparkling wine or canned rosé on tap sounds fancy — because it is. And it's surprisingly doable. Many commercial wineries now offer wine in kegs (called wine on tap or keg wine), and the category is growing fast. A 5-liter or 20-liter wine keg is perfect for weddings, bridal showers, or any upscale backyard event.

Wine kegs use CO2 or a CO2/nitrogen blend to preserve freshness and push the liquid. Serving pressure is low — typically 3 to 5 PSI — and temperature should stay around 45°F to 50°F for whites and rosés. The environmental benefit is worth mentioning too: a 20-liter keg eliminates roughly 26 glass bottles from the waste stream.

7. Fresh Lemonade (Still or Sparkling)

Okay, this one might be the sleeper hit of the whole list. A tap of fresh-squeezed lemonade at a summer cookout or backyard wedding is an absolute crowd magnet. Kids love it, adults love it, and it pairs beautifully alongside whatever you're serving on your beer tap.

For still lemonade, use a low-pressure CO2 push (2 to 3 PSI) just to dispense it cleanly. For sparkling lemonade, carbonate your batch in a corny keg at 30 PSI overnight and serve at 10 to 12 PSI. The citric acid in lemonade can be tough on lines, so clean thoroughly after each use and consider dedicating a specific keg and line set just for lemonade.

Flavored variations — lavender lemonade, watermelon mint, strawberry basil — are incredibly easy to batch and make your setup feel like a proper craft beverage bar.

One Setup, Endless Possibilities

The beauty of investing in a quality keg system is that beer is just the beginning. Whether you're hosting a backyard cookout, running a pop-up bar, or just want to impress your friends on a Saturday afternoon, your tap setup is capable of far more than you might think.

At KegoMall, we carry everything you need to branch out — corny kegs, nitrogen tanks, stout faucets, extra lines, and cleaning supplies to keep every pour tasting its best. Explore your options and start thinking about what's going on tap at your next party.