Minikeg redefines 'counter-culture'

Though Heineken's recently developed miniature keg (the DraughtKeg) is a great idea, I'm glad that someone figured out that it needed a more portable refrigeration system. After all, what good is a portable keg if you can't carry it far from the very unportable standard refrigerator?

As a solution, Krups and Heineken have partnered up to deliver us the BeerTender, a counter-friendly miniature version of the kegerator. For those of you who wonder what that is, a kegerator is a full-size refrigerator specifically designed to hold a keg, or barrel of beer. The tap, regulator, and CO₂ tank in the fridge lets you tap into a keg and drink beer for up to a couple of months without losing the foam or the flavor. Sounds great, right? Well sure, if you have enough room for an extra fridge. But if you don't, then maybe the BeerTender is the way to go.

Weighing only 13.5 pounds (without the DraughtKeg of course), the BeerTender is small enough to move between rooms. It plugs into any 120-volt outlet, and it has three temperature settings, a temperature-ready light, and a volume indicator. In other words, you'll know well in advance if you should be reaching for the backup beer. Not that you'll need to do that all too often, as each Heineken DraughtKeg holds five liters. It retails for $279-to-$299, much less than you'd pay for an expensive full-sized kegerator. And it looks much more classy than those college throwbacks anyhow.