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Throwing a party? Need a conversation starter for your home bar or man cave? Do you just have thirsty friends? If you want to double (or triple) the amount of beer found in a standard pitcher for a small group, consider a beer tower or tube.
A beer tower is often known as a “portable beer tap”. It dispenses the beer of your choice with the lift of a lever like a standard tap would. But, it sits right on your tabletop or counter. Easy to use and convenient, portable beer tubes are a great way to add flare to any social gathering, and allow people to serve themselves at a party.
But, because they’re so popular, it’s not always easy to determine the best tower for your needs. The last thing you want is a tower that doesn’t perform as advertised.
So, we’ve rounded up a list of the best beer dispenser towers and tubes to make things easier for you. Whether you’re on a budget, looking for a specific size, or just want to make sure you’re getting a quality product, we’ve got you covered.
Table of Contents
Best Beer Tower Dispensers at a Glance
We’ve put together a few of our favorite picks when it comes to the beer towers that can’t be beat. With more competitors getting into the beer tube market, it’s important to know which tubes will keep your party flowing and which ones fall flat.
If you don’t have time to read about each beer tower, here are the ones that we recommend.
- Oggi 8088 Beer Tower Dispenser with EZ-Pour Spigot
- Barconic Lighted Beer Tower with Ice Tube
- Refinery Beer Tower Drink Dispenser with Pro-Pour Tap and Freeze Tube
- Goplus Beer Tower Dispenser Draft Beer Tower with LED lights & Removable Ice Tube
- BeerSquad Beer Tower Beverage Tower Dispenser with Included Ice Tube
Other Names For Beer Towers
Beer towers have evolved over the years. So much so, in fact, that they’ve developed a variety of different names and titles, including:
- Tabletop Beer Dispenser
- Beer Tube (Often used for shotgunning beer)
- Triton Dispenser
- Giraffe
Oggi 8088 Beer Tower Dispenser with EZ-Pour Spigot
If you truly want to feel like a beer aficionado at your next get-together, the Oggi 8088 Beer Tower Dispenser with EZ-Pour Spigot is the way to go. Starting from the bottom, it’s got a weighted base so you never have to worry about it tipping or not being able to support the full three quarts of beer it can carry (that’s six pints!).
Pros:
- Removable ice tube for easy freezing
- EZ-flow spigot for smooth and consistent pouring
Cons:
- The spigot isn’t detachable (may be hard to clean)
- Hand-washing recommended, not dishwasher safe
This is a great beer tower for both indoor and outdoor use. It looks so great that you’ll want to keep it out all the time. And, because it’s so durable, you’ll be able to!
Barconic Lighted Beer Tower with Ice Tube
This beer tower by Barconic is sure to be the main talking point of any party. As you can tell from the title, its main selling point is the fact that it lights up – perfect for long summer nights.
This tower is a bit controversial with mixed reviews. So, it’s important to break down some of the pros and cons to determine if it’s a good fit for your needs.
Pros:
- The tube holds nine 12oz bottles of beer
- Works well with other mixed drinks/sodas
Cons:
- Tap can break if it’s pulled too aggressively
- Some complaints about the lights not working.
While this may not be the most durable beer tower in the world, it’s great for the occasional get-together, especially if you want to impress your friends.
Refinery Beer Tower Drink Dispenser with Pro-Pour Tap and Freeze Tube
This is the kind of beer tower that will become a staple to your home bar. The Refinery Beer Tower and drink dispenser has a classy copper finish that goes with almost any style or decor, and plenty of awesome features to brag about, including:
- A weighted base that provides a sturdy foundation
- A separating tower for quick clean-up
- The tower holds 2.75 quarts of liquid
- An easy-to-freeze ice rod to keep things cold
- A pro-pour bar tap for maximum control
With so many good things to talk about, does it have any drawbacks?
The only real complaint is that it doesn’t come with extra ice rods. They also aren’t sold separately. So, you either have to re-freeze the rod periodically throughout your event, or keep your beer cold before putting it into the tower.
Goplus Beer Tower Dispenser Draft Beer Tower and Beverage Dispenser with LED Lights & Removable Ice Tube
The Goplus Draft Beer Tower Dispenser is specifically designed with home use in mind. It’ll be the talk of any party, and it’s easy for virtually anyone to use. Some of the biggest benefits include:
- Transparent container with a clear scale
- Metal beer dispenser spigot for durability
- Durable material for use indoors/outdoors
- Nearly a gallon capacity
- Ice tube for ice cubes to keep beverages from getting ‘watered down’
- Changing LED light
There are very few ‘negative’ things to say about this home tower, aside from the fact that it isn’t recommended for the dishwasher. But, most users claim that it’s easy to clean by hand washing.
Another possible drawback is parts breaking. As of now, you can’t simply purchase replacement parts if something doesn’t work properly.
BeerSquad Beer Tower Clear Beverage Tower Dispenser with Included Ice Tube
The BeerSquad Beer Tower is a great beverage solution for any party, picnic, or tailgate. Not only is it made from durable materials that will allow you to take it almost anywhere, but it’s list of ‘pros’ will make you tempted to click “buy” right away! Some of the best features include:
- Clear removable ice tube
- Dual-action spout
- Easy to disassemble for cleaning
- Sturdy lock-and-twist base
- Up to 7 pints of beer on tap
Perhaps the only ‘con’ to this particular tower is that it’s not meant for drinks with any viscosity. So, it might not be the best solution for frozen blended beverages, like margaritas. Other cocktails and mixed drinks will work perfectly.
The BeerSquad team is so confident in this particular product that they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not happy with how the Beer Tower works, you can simply return it for a full refund with no questions asked.
How To Fill a Beer Tube
Even though it might seem like a cool party trick or a way to impress people at a pub, the “science” behind beer towers is pretty simple.
All you need to do is fill a beer tube with your favorite beer (or any beverage of your choice). You can learn more about how to fill most models by watching the video below.
Once the tube is full, just place it back on the tap/stand, and you’re ready to go! It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Some models use things like ice packs or an internalized system to cool the beverage, while others don’t.
For mixed drinks or sodas, you may need to add ice to the liquid itself. You can either fill the tube straight from another tap (which is why beer towers work so well in bars), or by pouring beer from another source, like pitchers.
Why Should You Get a Beer Tower?
Your reason for getting a beer tower really depends on what you plan on using it for. As we’ve already touched on, it’s an awesome addition to any home bar or “man cave. If you are hosting a party and want to share your latest homebrew recipe with all your guests, filling a beer tube with your own craft beer will create a fun experience for them and catch the eye of all your family and friends.
A beer tower is a great party investment. Having a beer tower out on a table at a party is a great way for everyone to serve themselves without having to deal with multiple pitchers laying around that need constant refilling.
You can buy multiple beer tubes for different varieties, and it’s easy to see when they need to be refilled. The whole process is cleaner, easier, and less stressful than using a pressurized mini keg.
Beer towers tend to be a lot cleaner at parties and get-togethers, too. Who wants to clean up multiple beer bottles and cans at the end of the night? This way, everything is stored in one clear container, and people can refill their cups as needed. If you have non-beer drinkers at your event, use a tower for mixed drinks or non-alcoholic beverages, too!
It’s a great way to keep everyone happy.
What To Look For Before Buying
Much of what you’ll want to look for in a beer tower will have to do with your personal preferences. There are a variety of different tube designs, and different varieties can hold different amounts, though most hold around 100oz – two or three times what a standard beer pitcher would hold.
You’ll also want to look for a beer tube that will make your life easier, not harder. With that in mind, ask yourself some of the following questions when you’re looking at a specific beer tower to determine whether it’s the right one for you:
- Is it easy to clean?
- What is the beer tower made of?
- Can the base be replaced if needed?
- Does it have an ice tube or some kind of cooling system?
- Can the taps be removed for deep cleaning?
Which Beer Tower is the Best?
When it comes to the clear winner of this roundup, we have to give it to the Oggi 8088 Beer Tower Dispenser. After all, it was the first one on our list for a reason!
The Oggi 8088 lives up to almost everything you should look for in a beer tower. It’s easy to clean, it has a removable ice tube to keep your beverages cold, and it looks absolutely fantastic whether you’re using it in a home bar or outside at a party.
Plus, its weighted base ensures that you don’t have to worry about it tipping over for any reason. When compared to some of the other beer towers listed here, that durability and weight is really what helps to set it apart.
Cheers!
