My wife and I threw a party over Memorial Day weekend. We wanted to supply choices for both soft drinks and alcoholic drinks for our guests including beer. During our party planning my wife and I discussed buying cases of beer in cans or getting a keg. The perception is that getting a keg is similar to buying in bulk, therefore it’s cheaper. But is that perception the reality? I decided to breakdown the math, and compare the cost of a 16 gallon keg of domestic light beer to purchasing the same amount of beer in cans. But, we also have to take into account the stack of 300 cups I purchased ($10 at Sam’s Club), and the ice I purchased to keep the keg cold (4 bags of 20 pounds of ice at $2.55 at Costco = $10.20). After taking these factors into account, the cost of keg beer looks like this: We also have to take into account that I’d likely put ice into the coolers. I have to keep the cans of beer cold as well. If we assume using the same amount of ice, and that we’d need 7 cases of beer (it’s actually 7.1 cases) to equal the keg, our cost for canned beer looks like this:

The cost of having a keg is actually slightly more than canned beer if you can find it on sale. Given the perception that buying in bulk is usually cheaper, this was a surprise to me. The bottom line is, the cost of having keg beer and canned beer is very similar. We’re talking about a difference of $8 between the two, and either way you’re getting a LOT of beer. Whether you buy canned beer or a keg for your large gathering will come down to convenience, taste, and personal preference. c2 backpack hudBut it cost really isn’t a factor.wsu backpack journalism Have you ever thought about canned or bottled beer vs a keg for a party? nutricia backpackWhich one did you choose? Brought to you courtesy of Brock There are approximately 165 – 12oz beers in a 1/2 barrel, 83 beers in a 1/4 barrel, and 55 beers in a 1/6 barrel.

Be prepared, a 1/2 barrel weighs 170 lbs full and 30 lbs empty. A Keg is approximately 7 cases of beer. We can special order over 125 kegs. All special order kegs must be paid for in advance A prepayment is required 4 days in advance for any special order kegs. Any kegs other than ones listed under american sanky tap require a different tap and needs a 5 day notice to get the tap in. Please keep in mind that prices listed are subject to change. Free State Oatmeal Stout 1/6  $66.00 Goose Island 312  1/6  $62.00 Keystone Light 1/2  $105.00 Landshark Lager 1/6  $55.00 Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat 1/2  $134.00 Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat 1/6  $58.00 Leinenkugels Seasonal 1/6  $53.00 Leinenkugels Shandy 1/2  $134.00 Lost Coast Indica IPA 1/6  $67.00 Magic Hat #9 Pale Ale 1/6  $60.00 Michelob Amberbock 1/6  $57.00 Michelob Ultra 1/2  $130.00 Michelob Ultra 1/6  $57.00 Miller Highlife 1/2  $90.00

Miller Lite 1/2  $121.00 Miller Lite 1/4  $72.00 Modelo Especial 1/4  $73.00 Natural Light 1/2  $110.00 Negra Modelo 1/4  $84.00 New Belgium Fat Tire 1/2  $135.00 New Belgium Fat Tire 1/6  $62.00 New Belgium Sunshine Wheat 1/6  $62.00 North Coast Old Rasputin 1/6  $99.99 Odells 90 Schilling 1/4  $79.00 Old Milwaukee 1/2 $74.00 Pabst Blue Ribbon 1/2 $85.00 Sam Adams Boston Lager 1/2 $161.00 Sam Adams Boston Lager 1/6 $66.00 Sam Adams Seasonal 1/2 $161.00 Sam Adams Seasonal 1/6 $66.00 Shiner Bock 1/2 $131.00 Shock Top 1/2 $131.00 Shock Top 1/6 $55.00 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 1/2 $135.00 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 1/6 $62.00 Tallgrass 8Bit 1/2 $125.00 Tallgrass 8Bit 1/6 $61.00 Tallgrass Pub Ale 1/2 $125.00 Tallgrass Pub Ale 1/6 $61.00 Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat 1/6 $61.00 Tallgrass Seasonal 1/2 $160.00 Tallgrass Seasonal 1/6 $61.00 Woodchuck Amber Cider 1/6 $65.00

New Castle 50L  $156.00 Strongbow Cider 1/2 $157.00You know how there are some cookbook authors you just wanna be besties with? You read their recipe intros, titles, and snarky instructions and you think, "We were meant to be friends." That's how I feel about Alex Brown and Evan George, authors of the Hot Knives food blog and the bros behind the new full-color, photo-heavy party food book, Lust for Leaf: Veggie Crowd-Pleasers To Fuel Your Picnics, Potlucks, and Ragers. I've always been one of those girls who'd rather hang out with the dudes and drink beer than do some girly stuff like shopping or pedicures. And I'm fairly certain Alex and George can throw a hell of a party. Their new cookbook Lust for Leaf is filled with vegan party foods that will impress the shit out of your guests. Now, I should tell y'all now that this is a vegetarian cookbook, not a vegan one. So there are some cheesy recipes. But all vegan recipes are labeled with a big ole "V," and there are many, many mouthwatering vegan recipes.

So many, in fact, that I had a hard time deciding what to try first. But being the Dirty South girl that I am, I finally settled on these Oyster Po'Boys: These are beer-battered, double-fried oyster mushrooms on a bed of shredded cabbage, topped with Radish Remoulade, hot sauce, and tucked into a two slices of soft French bread. You don't just fry the oyster mushrooms once, but TWICE! And there's a little note on the side of the recipe that says this: "Do you really need to saute AND fry these fuckers twice? Oh yes you do." So on that note, I did. And it was worth it. Frying twice made these little mushrooms so crispy. I've never had real oysters, but I'd imagine they'd be similar to this. Oh, and that remoulade is homemade! The recipe is in the book. But it's basically Vegenaise, radishes, and chives, and it has an awesome pink hue. Also, each recipe comes with a suggested adult beverage and a suggested song. This one should be served with Brewdog's "Tokyo" (an aged oak stout) while you listen to "Rebel, Rebel" by David Bowie.

Since this was a fairly fatty sandwich, I opted for a really healthy side. I made the Summer Sweater salad dressing: Paul and I grow our own habaneros, and this salad dressing calls for two. Plus, it also has garlic, scallions, fresh oregano, orange zest, and oil. The habaneros are toasted, which takes some of the intense heat away. But it's still a tad spicy. Quite possibly the best salad dressing ever. Lust for Leaf makes me want to throw a wild and crazy party. I can just see the menu now: Kaleslaw (kale salad with a lemon verbana-Dijon dressing), Awesome Blossoms (vegan potato-stuffed squash blossoms with a creamy sauce), Backpack Banh Mi (seitan banh mi sandwiches with homemade pickles), Kill Your Idols Cornbread, Falafel Salad, Artichoke Hummus, and HK Hot Dogs (homemade vegan hot dogs!). There are plenty of vegan desserts in here too — Strawberry Hibiscus Sorbet, HK Vanilla Wafers, Spiced Pecan Pie. And my personal fave — Booze Holes!!!!!! Yep, vegan doughnut holes made with nuts and alcohol.