Putting Krampus on Tap at Your Bar: The Ultimate Guide for Modern Cocktail Programs
How bars can elevate service, speed, guest experience, and storytelling with a Krampus draft line.
Why Put a Liqueur on Tap?
If you’ve been to cities like Chicago or Milwaukee, you’ve seen it: bars are putting everything on tap — espresso martinis, Old Fashioneds, amaro, even Malört.
Draft cocktails give bars:
- Speed (2–3x faster than building a cocktail)
- Consistency
- Portion control
- Lower labor costs
- Higher throughput on busy nights
Krampus slots perfectly into this trend. Its 40% ABV, rich viscosity, and winter-spiced herbal profile make it a natural fit for draft service — either as a standalone chilled shot or as the base for a house cocktail.
The Krampus Tap Handle: A Bar-Top Conversation Magnet (And Yes, We Provide One Free)
One of the most compelling reasons bars love putting Krampus on tap has nothing to do with batching, speed, or margins.
It’s the tap handle.
Most tap handles are functional. Some are decorative. But the Krampus tap handle is a spectacle.
Carved black horns, glowing red eyes, a wicked grin, and that unmistakable long red tongue — it doesn’t sit quietly behind the bar. It stares back at the room. Customers point at it. Bartenders get questions about it every night. Phones come out. Pictures get taken. Drinks get ordered.
It becomes the bar’s unofficial mascot for the season.
Why Bars Love It
- Instant intrigue: “What the hell is that?” is the most common reaction — and that curiosity converts directly into sales.
- It creates a ritual: Watching Krampus get poured from Krampus makes every shot or cocktail feel like a moment.
- Brand story in physical form: One look tells guests everything — dark, mischievous, alpine, premium.
- A bartender brag piece: Staff love pulling from it.
- Social-media gold: Bars regularly post photos and see engagement spikes.
And Here’s the Best Part: Free Tap Handle Program
Chuckanut Bay Distillery provides every participating bar with a Krampus tap handle for free.
We want the tap handle to do what it does best:
Drive curiosity → conversation → sales.
Bars who add a Krampus tap line receive:
- A premium sculpted Krampus tap handle
- Wholesale case pricing
- Optional menu support
- Seasonal promotional materials
- Staff training on Krampus cocktails & best practices
The tap handle isn’t merch. It’s a marketing engine on your bar top, working every minute your doors are open.
Three Ways Bars Are Already Using Krampus on Tap
1. Krampus On Tap as a Chilled Shot
Think: the bar’s house shot, but elevated.
Krampus is:
- Complex yet accessible
- Premium without being pretentious
- Seasonal but not confined to a season
Set the keg to 28–32°F and you have an instantly pourable, ice-cold shot guests will request by name.
2. Krampus Draft Cocktails
Draft cocktails featuring Krampus are exceptionally stable. Popular formats include:
- Krampus Old Fashioned (Krampus + bourbon + bitters)
- Krampus Cola
- Krampus Ginger Highball
- Krampus Hotline (Krampus + cold-brew + cacao)
Serve still, on nitrogen, or lightly carbonated depending on the build.
3. Nitro Krampus Espresso Martinis
This is the sleeper hit.
A nitro keg of:
- Fresh espresso
- Krampus
- Vodka
- A touch of sugar
…becomes a silky, cascading espresso martini at the pull of a tap. Bars can push out 150+ per hour during holiday rush.
How to Set Up a Krampus Draft Line
Choose Your Keg
- Corny kegs (fast cleaning + batching)
- Sixtel kegs (standard bar draft systems)
Krampus is shelf-stable and doesn’t separate, making batching simple.
Line Type
- Standard draft lines work for straight Krampus
- Barrier lines only needed for citrus or dairy cocktails
Gas Choice
- CO₂ for carbonated cocktails
- N₂ (nitrogen) for still cocktails or chilled shots
Straight Krampus should always be served on nitrogen.
Temperature
28–34°F is the sweet spot for a smooth, dangerously drinkable pour.
Batching Recipes for Bars
Krampus On Tap (Straight)
- 100% Krampus
- Serve on nitrogen
- Keep extremely cold
Krampus Old Fashioned
- 1 liter bourbon
- 750 ml Krampus
- 20 ml 2:1 demerara
- 20 dashes aromatic bitters
Stir, keg, serve over ice with an orange expression.
Krampus Espresso Martini (Nitro)
- 1 liter vodka
- 500 ml Krampus
- 1 liter fresh espresso
- 150 ml sugar syrup
Charge with nitrogen for cascading effect.
How to Get Krampus for Your Bar
Bars can source Krampus through:
- Flaviar
- RNDC (select states)
- KrampusSpirit.com for bottle restock
- Local Washington distribution
We’re here to help with:
- Wholesale case pricing
- Menu features
- Cocktail program integration
- Seasonal promotions
Bring Krampus On Tap to Your Bar
Bars across the country are adding Krampus draft lines for the holiday season and beyond.
Contact us for wholesale pricing + your free tap handle:
Learn more or shop bottles directly:
