What Is A Jockey Box, And Is It Better For Beer Than A Keg Or A Cooler?

Upon first hearing the term "jockey box," several images likely pop into your brain. The most reasonable idea may center on some sort of box at a racetrack. However, in the world of beer, the term means something very different. A jockey box is basically a portable draft-beer setup built into a cooler. Instead of chilling every can, bottle, or even the entire keg in a big tub of ice, a jockey box chills the beer itself as it makes its way from the keg to the tap.

Picture a system that looks like this: A cooler-style box with beer lines, a faucet, shank, either stainless steel coils or a cold plate, a CO2 tank, regulator, and whatever connectors you need to hook all that up to a keg. How it functions as a whole is much simpler. In essence, the keg holds the draft beer, the CO2 pushes the beer, and the jockey box chills it right before pouring. A jockey box is quite different from a keg or an ordinary cooler, which is really just a container that holds a whole lot of beer, with a half-barrel containing 15.5 gallons (or about 124 16-ounce pints).

However, unlike a jockey box, a keg on its own still needs a way to stay cold and to dispense the beer. A regular cooler is even simpler, since you only need to fill it with ice and drinks, close the lid, and hope nobody leaves it open for too long. Coolers are perfect for chilling cans and bottles, but if you love draft beer, you'll most likely love a jockey box. That doesn't mean that jockey boxes are inherently "better" for beer than kegs or coolers; it all just depends on what you need for different scenarios.

Some folks thrive in social situations, and if beer is involved, the stakes rise considerably. For a small backyard barbecue or family hangout, a cooler full of pop-top cans or icy bottles may be the best way to go, leaving you free to relax and enjoy the day. But for a day-long party, a rowdy tailgate, or any kind of event where draft beer is allowed, a jockey box can be a gamechanger.

For outdoor events, a jockey box is great because no electricity is required. Once it's set up, you pour straight from the tap without digging through melting ice. But there are tradeoffs. You'll need to supply cups, and those cups full of beer typically mean more spills than with bottles or cans. Plus, it can be harder to monitor consumption when there's a constant tap available for refills. Since the box also needs to be placed away from direct sunlight, you'll need to plan accordingly.

An important consideration when owning a jockey box is the setup time, namely the after-party cleanup. It's not as simple as rinsing or wiping down a cooler or keg; all the components must be thoroughly cleaned, including beer lines, faucets, coils, cold plates, and any other parts that have come into contact with the beer. All said, a jockey box isn't a carefree walk in the park, but it can be an innovative, fun, non-electric way to integrate interesting draft beers, or even chilled wines and sodas, into an otherwise ordinary get-together.

If you end up going the old-school route, check out how to keep drinks ice cold in your cooler and how many cans of beer are in a half or full keg.