Category: Wining and Dining

Dutch Design (15): The New Heineken 5 L DraughtKeg

Heineken 5L DraughtKeg

I wasn’t aware it is almost completely new, at least for The Netherlands, as it appears it was available earlier in the USA, in Taiwan and in France: The Heineken 5 Liter DraughtKeg.

We hosted a party last Monday and someone took a cooled Heineken 5 L DraughtKeg with him and installed it. I noted the recent transport didn’t create any frothy problem when using it.

Installation was so easy and natural that it seemed the 5 L DraughtKeg was there already for ages…(off course similar systems are already on the market for ages). Not so: The guy who brought the keg is an early adapter.

Today, after having used 7/8 of the 5 liter keg on Monday, I took it out of the fridge and had another couple of nice draught beers.

What is it?
It is a mini disposable double walled beer keg. The assumption it being double walled appeared to be wrong after I had seen a video where they sawed the keg through.

It is pressurized and comes complete with an easy to install tap. Just tap the keg and draw up to 20 glasses of crisp draught beer.

And with Heineken’s patented Intelligent Pressure System, you can be sure every glass, from first to last will be perfect.

Getting Started:

It comes with a very simple plastic tap mechanism in a blister pack on top of it and picture instructions showing how to use it.

Heineken 5L DraughtKeg Tap

Chill the keg for at least 10 hours in your fridge.

Remove the tap components from the blister pack on top of the keg.

Remove the green plastic closing cap from the top of the keg.

Snap the ring on top of the keg.

Place the mini tap in the center of the ring.

Details:

After first use the beer stays fresh for 30 days when stored in the fridge.

You can take off the tap and re apply it.

You can store it on its site in the fridge.

No froth forming as with the traditional large keg in a tap installation.

Some foaming during the initial pour is normal. It should settle down after that. For best results, the beer should be cooled for at least 10 hours at 2-5 degrees Centigrade (40-45 degrees Fahrenheit). Do not store at temperatures above 35 degrees Centigrade (95 degrees Fahrenheit). Do not shake the keg before usage. Make sure your glasses are rinsed and cool.

Some considerations

There have been miniature beer kegs around for years, but thus far the tap mechanisms were horrible in use and you would hardly ever get the (at least in The Netherlands required) two fingers froth on your beer.

Apparently Taiwan served as a test market and the first 1,000 kegs imported were sold within two weeks (source Nation Multimedia).

Heineken introduced the Beertender in 2004 together with Krupps. Later Philips followed with a similar system in cooperation with Inbev. It sold tremendously, but the disadvantage was that chilling the beer in the beertender took a long time and storing a half used keg was only possible inside the beertender. So I take it that the introduction of this new 5L DraughtKeg will eat the market of this Beertender.

Dutch seafront bars are already complaining that the they sell less beer because of the 5L DraughtKeg (you have 3 to 4 hours of really nice cool beer after taking it from your fridge). The real reason is off course they charge horrible for a glass of draught beer.

Most important consideration: It is much handier than slaving with crates with bottles.

Most important question: Is it sustainable? Heineken claims it is recyclable….

Sources
More on Heineken Com

More multimedia about the DraughtKeg: Party Heineken

More on the USA introduction at Free Republic

DraughtKeg on YouTube:

On YouTube I found this instructive video about how to install the DraughtKeg. I do not exactly know which language it is, can somebody help me out?:


How to use it

This video hilariously addresses the old problems the DraughKeg solves:


What frothy problems it solves

Two Dutchmen hilariously addresses the sustainability problem: What to do with a shed of used DraughtKegs?


What to do with the empty DraughtKeg

It seems the last one is produced by Heineken itself.

The funny thing is that in order to see video on the Heineken site (Yuck a site entirely in Flash) you have to give some proof of your age whereas no such thing is asked by YouTube…..

Waiter Rant

It took me some time to vote for the Travvies, mainly because I carefully inspected all the finalists and also the nominees, because methodically as I sometimes am, I wanted to know whether I missed something. The reading took me to some lists of travel writers and also to the 2007 Bloggies and found there Waiter Rant.

The writer remains anonymous because:

There are many books about waiting tables penned by frustrated authors and wannabe loser actors, so why should I add my tiny voice to the fray? Because all of these treatments are milquestoast pussywhipped stories written so as not to offend anyone. I read these books and I get a sneaking suspicion that the author is afraid he/she will be found out and lose their job. Inhibited bullshit. F*ck that.

I will remain anonymous so I can tell people what this job and working in the great American “service economy” is really like! All I will say is I am a waiter in a high end restaurant in the NYC area. The stories are true but some of the names have been changed to protect the innocent ( and my self form litigious customers!).

An excellently written Blog I do agree with the Bloggies.

Also nice to see that my Chocolate and Zucchini find is nominated for 2007.

Dutch Design (5): FG Stijl

College Hotel Amsterdam redesigned by FG Stijl

FG Stijl – the F comes from Finegan and the G from Glintmeijer – is a Dutch firm of architects and designers.

Colin Finnegan (1968), a British native with a British degree in interior design, lives and works in Amsterdam for over 16 years and formed a partnership with Gerard Glintmeijer in 1995.

Gerard Glintmeijer (1968), a Dutch native, started his career in the field of the hospitality. He studied at a Dutch hotel school, textile and management and finished his study as a concept designer and interior stylist.

FG Stijl Architecture and Interior design are located on one of Amsterdam’s islands where Design related companies are cozily clustering together.

A selection of their past Projects:

  • Restaurant Parkheuvel ** [2 Michelin stars], Rotterdam April 1997: Furnishing and re-styling of the complete interior.
  • Restaurant Calla’s *, [1 Michelin star], The Hague, September 1998: Concept development and furnishing for a new restaurant. International surrounding, in which meeting people and dining are the main issue. Modern new-chique.
  • Restaurant Rosarium, Amsterdam, August 1999: Concept development and interior design for a new restaurant with wine-bar, conference rooms and other facilities. Total 1400 m2.
  • SIMPLY BREAD, the natural food company, which first opened in Maastricht in September 2000 and will open stores in The Hague and in Rotterdam soon: Concept development and interior design for Pilot store.
  • Restaurant Aux Moulins, Kinderdijk (yes very near to the UN heritage site of the 19 windmills, a must see in The Netherlands), August 2000: Furnishing and re-styling of the complete interior.
  • Beachclub De Kust, Bloemendaal – Zandvoort May 2001: Furnishing and re-styling of the complete beachclub and restaurant.
  • Hotel Greenpark , Leidschendam (a suburb of The Hagues), April – August 2001: Concept development and interior design of the ground floor bar|brasserie|restaurant| entrance|reception|lounge|terrace.
  • Unilever, Rotterdam, April 2002: Concept development and interior design of the boardroom and the entrance hall of this Dutch food and perfume multinational.
  • Parkheuvel *** [3 Michelin stars], Rotterdam Januari 2003: Design, furnishing and re-styling of the complete interior, incl. new kitchen and toilets.
  • Heineken Head office, Amsterdam, December 2003: Material- and color advice for its restaurant.
  • Panisse, a pastry shop, inspired by Restaurant Calla’s, The Hague, December 2003. Architecture and interior design.

Note: The Restaurant Parkheuvel has changed ownership and has now only one Michelin star for 2006/2007.

Reviewing restaurants becoming dangerously costly?

The Northern Ireland newspaper Irish News -I must say I don’t like their policy of hiding their news behind a mandatory subscription- published a restaurant review back in 2000 by a renowned restaurant critic Caroline Workman.

The review criticized the quality of food and drink, the staff and the smoky atmosphere of the restaurant. On a scale of 1-5 the restaurant got a 1.

The owner of the Goodfellas Italian restaurant on Kennedy Way, Ciarnan Convery, had claimed the article was a “hatchet job” and sued the paper.

A jury found the review defamatory. The paper has to pay the restaurant owner £25,000 plus court costs. The paper lodged appeal.

Unfortunately I am unable to find the actual review.

Various papers claim this verdict a threat to the Freedom of Speech principle. Among them Maeve Kennedy in the Guardian in Critics bite back after restaurant reviewer sued for calling chicken too sweet

But it must be said that critics can be venomous when one sees some of the quotes:

“The worst meal I’ve ever eaten. Not by a small margin. I mean the worst! The most unrelievedly awful! You don’t need to be an atomic physicist to grill steaks. They arrived so raw you could have drowned swimming in the blood.”
Michael Winner, the Sunday Times, on Bibendum in Chelsea, London

“The taste and texture of the pease pudding reminded me of occasions when I have accidentally inhaled while emptying the Dyson.”
Giles Coren, the Times, on Court Restaurant at the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London

Interesting case to follow. During the 2006 hot month of July here in The Hague a restaurant had a problem with a critic who wanted to have desert on the terrace where she had her meal. The restaurant owner had to close the terrace at 9.30 PM pursuant to rules of the City. The critic refused to take the desert inside the restaurant and didn’t give points for the desert (while points for deserts count considerably for the overall points awarded). The restaurant claimed it to be unfair, but the paper in question did not redress which seemed not fair to me.

Mouton Rothschild 2004 label designed by Prince Charles

Mouton Rothschild 2004

When clicking on the official and worthwhile site of Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. you are elegantly welcomed by Baroness Philippine herself.

The story:

HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES ILLUSTRATES THE LABEL OF CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 2004
Each year since 1945 the Mouton label has been illustrated with an original artwork by a contemporary artist. Generally on the theme of wine and the vine, it sometimes celebrates an historic event. Indeed 2004 occupies a special place in our memories since it marks the Centenary of the Entente Cordiale, concluded by Britain and France on 8 April 1904.
King Edward VII is known to have played a prominent part in the agreement, which would herald a genuine alliance during the First World War and forever transform two rival powers into sisters by choice.
The commemoration of such an important milestone in Franco-British relations was the occasion for many celebrations in 2004, culminating in official visits by both Heads of State. That is the spirit in which Baroness Philippine de Rothschild approached HRH The Prince of Wales, a talented artist and a direct descendant of Edward VII. The Prince agreed that the label for Mouton Rothschild 2004 could be illustrated with one of his watercolors, inspired by a French landscape, in celebration of the Entente Cordiale. He has added in his own hand: «To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Entente Cordiale – Charles, 2004».
Standing out against an azure sky, rooted in the depths of the soil, the pines depicted by the artist are in the image of the vine, fruit of the ever bountiful union of the sun and the earth.

(via Luxist)