Account management for bars that pour your beer

The tap is a relationship

A bar has a limited number of taps and a long queue of brewers who want one. Once your beer is on, the bar manager will judge you on three things: does it pour right, does it sell and is the brewery easy to deal with.

Account management is the work of making sure all three stay true. It is less glamorous than brewing and often decides whether a brewery grows. In states where the sale of draught beer from a brewery is allowed to outside outlets, this is the heart of the on-trade business. Rules differ from state to state, so confirm what yours allows before you sign up bars. Our guide on pouring craft beer on tap in Maharashtra without a brewery shows one version of how an outlet can work with craft supply.

Line cleaning is your reputation

Most draught complaints that reach a brewery are not about the beer. They are about the line. Beer lines grow yeast, bacteria and beer stone over time. A dirty line produces butter, sour or wet-cardboard notes that the drinker blames on the brewer.

The common standard is to clean draught lines with a caustic solution about every two weeks, with a rinse before beer goes back on. That is a widely used guide, not a law. The right interval depends on the length of the line, the temperature and the beer. A bar that stretches this to two months is putting your name on a faulty pour.

Decide who cleans the lines. Some breweries do it as part of the account. Others train bar staff and check on visits. Either way, write it down and keep a log. Lines left to chance will fail the first hot week.

Keg rotation and freshness

Kegs have a shelf life that starts at filling. An account that orders too many kegs and lets them sit warm in the back is a risk. Hoppy beers are fragile. Lagers keep better, but warm storage shortens the life of any beer.

• Agree a standing order that matches what the bar sells, not what it hopes to sell.
• Mark the fill date on every keg and check it on each visit.
• Ask the bar to store kegs cold, ideally the same cold room that holds the beer on tap.
• Collect empties promptly. A brewery with no empty kegs cannot fill the next order.

Serving temperature matters as much as storage. Draught beer is usually served cold, in a broad range of about 3 to 6 °C depending on the style. A tap system running warm throws foam. Foam looks like a bad beer.

Train the people who pour

The bartender is the last person to handle your beer. A short training session pays back quickly. Show them the pour: a clean glass, a slight tilt, a head of about two fingers. Show them what to do when a keg changes, how to clear the coupler and what to say when a guest asks what the beer is.

Give each bar a one page card with the beer names, styles, strength and two lines of tasting notes. Staff who can describe a beer will sell it. Staff who cannot will point at the lager.

Include responsible service in the briefing. Staff should know to refuse service to anyone underage or visibly drunk. They should also offer water.

A visit routine that scales

Visit each account on a rhythm. A busy bar needs a call every week and a visit every month. A quiet one can be looked at less often. On each visit check the line, the cold room, the fill dates, the glassware and the pour. Take a glass yourself and taste it.

Keep a simple tracker for each account:

• Beers on tap and kegs sold per week.
• Date of last line clean.
• Complaints and how they were closed.
• Payment status and outstanding invoices.

Watch the payment. A bar that pays late is borrowing from your brewery. Agree terms at the start and follow them. Excise and invoicing rules for supply to outlets vary by state, so check with your licensing adviser.

When to walk away

Not every account is worth keeping. A bar that will not clean its lines, stores kegs in the sun or pays after ninety days is costing you more than it earns. Be polite, give notice and reclaim your kegs and your name. A smaller set of well-run accounts beats a long list of bad ones.

Margins on draught can look healthy until you count the time spent on visits, repairs and lost kegs. Our guide to running a happy hour without wrecking margins shows how quickly discounts and give-aways eat the profit on a pour. Check each account the same way.

Common questions

How often should draught lines be cleaned?

A common guide is about every two weeks with a caustic cleaner and a good rinse. The right interval depends on line length, temperature and the beer. Keep a written log.

Who is responsible for the quality of the pour?

Both sides. The brewery supplies fresh beer and training. The bar keeps lines, cold storage and glassware in order. Agree the split in writing.

Can I supply draught beer to any bar in India?

Not necessarily. Licensing and supply rules differ by state and change over time. Check the current notification and work with a licensing adviser.

What should a brewery track for each account?

Kegs sold per week, last line clean, complaints, payment status and keg returns. These show which accounts are healthy.