Turbo Tap, which the company claims can pour a beer in two seconds -- up to four times faster than a regular tap -- has gained traction after being featured on Spike TV's "Bar Rescue," which features bar and restaurant consultant John Taffer helping failing establishments turn things around. TurboTap USA, the company behind the technology, will be a regular fixture on the 10-episode show, which premiered Sunday, to help maximize draft beer profits at three bars and restaurants that Taffer will "rescue."
The tap works by eliminating the friction between kegs and glass, and the foam produced by normal taps, which causes excessive spillage and waste. It's designed to allow for a precise amount of foam, and tiny wings inside the tap keep the fluid moving in a steady "laminar flow," which reduces the chance of beer spilling over the edge, the company says. It also allows a pint to be poured in a matter of seconds, and improves keg yield and peak-time sales, the company adds.
Inventor Matt Younkle, president of Y Innovation, LLC, first conceived of his improved tap while he was a computer science and electrical engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He's now the president of a Green Bay-based software development firm, and TurboTap is his latest invention.
The company has sold hundreds of Turbo Taps, which cost $179 each for the home version or $209 for a tower model, and has shipped about 25 per day since a pre-launch e-mail went out Nov. 2. The main market remains stadiums and other large venues that can benefit from a quicker pour, Younkle said.
