"How many beers are in a keg?" is the first thing people ask when they're planning a party, a wedding, or an office happy hour. The short answer: it depends on the keg size — anywhere from about 55 to 165 twelve-ounce pours. At Mike's Liquors, San Francisco's keg headquarters since 1959, we field this question every day, so here's the clear version.
Beers per keg size, at a glance
| Keg size | Gallons | 12-oz beers | Pints (16 oz) | Cases of 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half barrel — the classic "full keg" | 15.5 | 165 | 124 | ~7 |
| Quarter barrel / pony keg | 7.75 | 82 | 62 | ~3.5 |
| Sixtel (1/6 barrel) — common for craft beer | 5.16 | 55 | 41 | ~2 |
| 50-liter import keg (many European brands) | 13.2 | 140 | 105 | ~6 |
These are estimates for full pours. Foam, the first few sampling pours, and the last bit you can't quite draw out will trim the real-world count a little, so it's smart to plan a touch of extra.
Which keg size should you choose?
A simple way to plan: figure two to three drinks per guest for the first hour, then about one per hour after that. For a backyard barbecue of 20 people over an afternoon, a sixtel or quarter barrel is plenty. For a wedding, a big game day, or a busy office party, a half barrel earns its keep — at roughly 165 beers, it's about seven cases of 24, usually cheaper per ounce than buying cans, and a lot less to haul and chill.
If you want variety, two sixtels of different styles often please a crowd better than one big keg of a single beer. We stock everything from local lagers and hazy IPAs to wine, cold brew, and kombucha on draft — browse the full lineup in All Kegs.
Don't forget the tap setup
A keg is only as good as what you pour it with. Different brands use different couplers (the most common in the U.S. is the "D" system, but imports often use "S," "U," or "A"), so make sure your tap matches your keg. You'll also need a way to dispense — a simple party pump pushes air into the keg and is fine for a single afternoon, while a CO2 setup or a kegerator keeps beer fresh and crisp for far longer. Renting a pump, a CO2 tank, or a jockey box for the day is easy; see what's available in Equipment & Services.
Keg delivery across San Francisco and the Bay Area
As the Bay Area's keg headquarters, we make getting a keg to your door simple: same-day delivery in San Francisco for orders placed by 9 AM, plus scheduled East Bay (Tuesdays) and Peninsula/South Bay (Wednesdays) runs — current zones, minimums, and fees are always on our delivery page. Every keg carries a $50 refundable deposit you get back when you return it. One tip from 65 years of doing this: let us know if there are stairs — we can deliver a keg up to one flight, and it helps to plan the spot before the party starts.
Planning something and not sure which size fits? Tell us your headcount and we'll point you to the right keg — start with our keg selection or give the shop a call.
How many cases of beer is a half barrel?
A half barrel holds about 165 twelve-ounce beers, which is roughly seven cases of 24 — usually a better value per beer than buying cans or bottles.
How long does a tapped keg stay fresh?
It depends on how you dispense it. A hand pump uses air, which starts to oxidize the beer within about 12 to 24 hours, so plan to finish it the same day. With a CO2 system or kegerator that keeps it cold and sealed, a keg can stay fresh for weeks.
Do I need a deposit for a keg?
Yes — kegs carry a $50 refundable deposit at Mike's, returned to you when you bring the empty keg back.