Real-time tap lists: how bars and breweries keep a rotating beer menu current
How taprooms and bars keep a rotating tap list accurate on guests' phones: what to list for each beer, what to do when a keg kicks, and a simple setup.
Updated September 28, 2026 4 min read
A printed tap list is out of date the first time a keg kicks. A chalkboard is better, until someone has to climb a ladder on a Friday night. Rotating taps are a big part of why people visit a taproom, which makes the tap list the menu that changes most in the building.
Why tap lists change so often
The US had 9,578 craft breweries in 2025, including 3,784 taprooms and 3,525 brewpubs, according to the Brewers Association. For many of them, new releases, seasonals and guest taps are what bring regulars back. There's no reliable figure for how often a typical taproom rotates, but anyone who has run one knows the answer is "constantly".
Kegs also run out on their own schedule. A US beer barrel is legally 31 gallons, so:
| Keg | Gallons | 16 oz pints, in theory |
|---|---|---|
| Half barrel (1/2) | 15.5 | about 124 |
| Quarter barrel (1/4) | 7.75 | about 62 |
| Sixtel (1/6) | about 5.17 | about 41 |
Foam, line cleaning and tasters mean you'll pour fewer than that. A sixtel of a popular beer can be gone in one busy evening.
What guests want to see for each beer
There's no official standard, but a good tap list usually shows:
- Name and brewery, especially for guest taps
- Style: hazy IPA, Mexican lager, stout
- ABV, the number most people check first
- IBU, if your crowd cares
- Pour sizes and prices: taster, half pour, full pour
- One line of description: "Soft and juicy, with mango."
Setting up a mobile-optimized tap list in SpotMyMenu
SpotMyMenu is a general menu builder, not a beer-specific app, so here's exactly how a tap list fits:
- Make a section called "On tap", plus "Cans & bottles", "Cocktails" and "Food" as needed. The section bar lets guests jump straight to it.
- One item per beer. Use the beer's name, and start the description with brewery, style, ABV and IBU: "Copper Kettle · Hazy IPA · 6.8% · 45 IBU. Soft and juicy, with mango."
- Price = your main pour. Each item has one price. Put your pint price there and other sizes in the description: "5 oz taster $3". There are no separate fields for ABV, IBU or pour sizes.
- Labels like New and Popular help people spot this week's release.
- A photo of the pour in the right glass is optional, but it helps a new beer stand out.
When a keg kicks
From your phone, tap the beer and switch on "Sold out". The editor works in real time, so it's two taps and you're back to pouring. The beer stays on the list with a Sold out badge, so regulars can see it was there, and nobody orders it. Changes save automatically, and the next guest who scans sees them right away. Anyone who already has the menu open may need to refresh.
When the next keg goes on:
- Same beer, new keg: switch "Sold out" off.
- New beer: add an item with its name, description and price. It saves as you type.
A beer you'll bring back next season can be hidden instead of deleted, so you don't have to type it again.
Releases and specials
Use a special for a Saturday release or a cask night: add a photo, a title and a price, and set a start and end date. It shows at the top of the menu on those days and disappears on its own at midnight. Specials run by date, not by hour, so happy hour is something you switch on and off yourself, or mention in the special ("4–6 pm").
Where to put the code
On the bar, on every table and on the wall near the taps. Put the menu link in your Instagram bio and on your Google Business Profile, so people can check what's pouring before they come.
Bars are dark, so choose a theme's dark mode (all 16 themes have one), or let the menu follow each guest's phone setting.
Food, cocktails and two languages
Most taprooms serve more than beer. The same menu can hold food with photos and add-ons, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. If you get visitors, write the menu in English and Spanish, and guests switch with one tap.
Is it worth it for a bar?
If your tap list changes every week, that's more than 50 reprints or rewrites a year. SpotMyMenu is $12.99 a month per location, or $8.99 a month billed yearly, and changes cost nothing. See example menus for bars and breweries, or start a 7-day free trial.