According to The San Francisco Gate, bars in San Francisco are starting to introduce a new way to serve their liquor. Right out of the tap. The popular San Francisco spirit Fernet-Branca was the first to be served from the tap, and now additional options such as Maker’s Mark or vermouth are available, among other spirits.
As far as the difference between liquor from the bottle and liquor from the keg, there’s no real difference. The liquor is served out of a 5-gallon keg, and nitrogen gas pumps the liquor through the keg-and-tap system under low pressure. The keg system doesn’t foam, carbonate, chill, or preserve the alcohol like it would with beer, so basically the consumer is getting the same product as they would be getting from the bottle.
Liquor on tap is seen as being more of a marketing technique, rather than a drastic change in liquor service. “It’s a statement,” said Reza Esmaili of Long Bar & Bistro. “When you choose to feature a particular spirit or liquor on tap, outside of conventional applications, it’s indicative of a house style.”
At Broken Record in San Francisco, the on-tap specialty is 122-year-old Four Roses Kentucky Bourbon, the bar’s most popular drink.
