5 Drinks To Serve with A Pumpkin Tap

What is a Pumpkin Tap?

A pumpkin tap is essentially a DIY beverage dispenser, made by cleaning out the interior of a pumpkin and properly attaching a faucet, which will allow you to turn a pumpkin into a keg! It's not as great as a kegerator, which can maintain the temperature of your beverage but it's a fun and affordable way to serve your beverages during the autumnal season.

How To Make a Pumpkin Tap

What you need:

• 1 Large Pumpkin
• 1 Knife
• 1 Spoon
• 1 Kegco Pumpkin Tap Kit
• Your Favorite Beverage

Properly Prepare

Before you start playing mixologist, make sure you get all the supplies you'll need and prepare them for beverage brewing. This is essential for serving your beverages at the ideal temperature, which will allow the notes and the flavors to be enhanced. If you are using wine, beer, or cider, we highly recommend storing these products properly to achieve the best taste and experience.

When it comes to wine, proper storage is key! A wine refrigerator is the best way to ensure your wines are being stored at the right temperature to prevent the degradation of flavor and delicate notes. If you want your wine beverages to have complex flavors and lack the bitterness and astringency of wine, you need to be sure the wine is stored at the optimal temperature. A wine refrigerator has a temperature control system that prevents wild fluctuations in temperature, ensuring your wines will be perfectly preserved until you are ready to drink them. We have a full guide on recommended serving temperatures here.

This same temperature-controlled storage concept applies to ciders and beers, except these are best stored in a kegerator. The benefit of a kegerator is that not only does it store your beers and ciders at the optimal temperature, but it dispenses them perfectly for the best taste experience! There's nothing quite like beer straight from the tap and you can get that experience at home easily with a kegerator. Learn about how a kegerator works in our article here.

All the little details matter when it comes to preparing your party beverages so, don't forget the ice and the cups! Ideally, you should have glasses that suit the beverages you are serving and glassware that allows your guests to easily serve themselves with the pumpkin tap. We recommend glassware that holds a larger volume and have a wider opening for easy dispensing. You should place the pumpkin tap that the edge of a countertop or table for guests to easily serve themselves.

Pumpkin Party Beverages

The benefit of a pumpkin tap is being able to serve large-batch beverages to your guests in a festive way. We've collected some of the best large-batch beverages for you to brew and enjoy with your guests this season. With warming flavors and unique notes, you may want to have a whole lineup of pumpkin kegs for your guests to choose from.

Golden Harvest Sangria

Ingredients (serves about 6)

• 16 oz hard cider
• 16 oz white wine
• 6 oz vanilla whiskey
• 4 oz brandy
• 1 cup spiced apple cider
• 2 to 3 apples, sliced
• 1/3 cup cranberries
• 5 cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish

Instructions

• 1. Combine cider, wine, whiskey, and brandy in a large jug or serving pitcher. Stir gently. Add in the sliced apples, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks.
• 2. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• 3. Serve in a festive pumpkin tap and offer your guests ice and cinnamon sticks as a garnish, if desired.

Pumpkin Spice White Russian

Ingredients (serves about 6)

• 2 ounces Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
• 1.5 ounces Coffee Liqueur
• 1.5 ounces vanilla vodka
• 2 ounces half and half
• cinnamon stick to garnish

Instructions

• 1. In a large pitcher combine pumpkin spice liqueur, coffee liqueur, vanilla vodka, and half and half. Stir well.
• 2. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• 3. Serve in a festive pumpkin tap and offer your guests ice and cinnamon sticks as a garnish, if desired.

Bourbon and Honey Beer Cocktail

Ingredients (serves about 6)

• 12 ounces bourbon
• 3 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 6 teaspoon honey
• 12 dashes bitters
• 72 ounces lager beer
• Lemon twist or lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

• 1. Combine bourbon, lemon juice, honey, and bitters stir well until honey is dissolved. Chill the mixture until you are ready to serve.
• 2. Add beer and stir lightly.
• 3. Serve in a festive pumpkin tap and offer your guests lemon twists or lemon slices as a garnish, if desired.

Spiced Pear Gin Cocktail

Ingredients (serves about 6)

• 9 ounces gin
• 6 ounces pear juice
• 4.5 ounces spiced pear liqueur
• 3 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 12-18 drops cardamom bitters
• Pear slices and sprigs of thyme to garnish

Instructions

• 1. Combine the gin, pear liqueur, pear juice, lemon juice, and cardamom bitters. Stir well.
• 2. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• 3. Serve in a festive pumpkin tap and offer your guests ice and garnish with a slice of pear and sprig of thyme.

Pumpkin Old Fashioned

Ingredients (serves about 6)

• 2.5 ounces bourbon
• 2/3 ounce pure maple syrup (add more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin purée
• 1-2 dashes of black walnut bitters or Angostura bitters
• Orange peel, cinnamon stick, and a bourbon cherry for garnish

Instructions

• 1. Combine the bourbon, maple syrup, pumpkin purée, and bitters. Stir well.
• 2. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• 3. Serve in a festive pumpkin tap and offer your guests ice, an orange peel, a cinnamon stick, and a bourbon cherry for garnish.

Celebrate Pumpkin Season Properly

Pumpkin season is only around for a short time! Take advantage of pumpkin season by not only infusing your drinks with that flavor but dispense it through a pumpkin tap. This extra touch will take your parties and get-togethers to the next level. In need of other ways to level up your beverage game? We have your back! Contact our team of product experts at 800-710-9939 for advice, answers to your product questions, and recommendations.