NA Keg Labeling & Identification Guide
A modern, brewery-friendly guide for giving every non-alcoholic (NA) keg a clear, durable, and digitally verifiable identity — tied directly into the DraftVerify system.
Why NA Kegs Need a New Kind of Labeling
Non-alcoholic beer moves through the same distribution chain as everything else: trucks, warehouses, shared coolers, festivals, event venues, and multi-site operators. But unlike alcoholic products, NA relies on absolute certainty. Guests aren’t just choosing a beer — they’re choosing a category.
For years, breweries relied on collars, stickers, tape, and handwriting to identify kegs. That worked when the only concern was style recognition. But NA introduced higher stakes: a single mix-up can break trust instantly.
This guide introduces a simple, modern system built specifically for NA: an NFC-enabled keg collar paired with an NFC coupler tag — both tied to a secure DraftVerify record.
Where Identity Gets Lost
Anyone who has packaged kegs knows the chaos: full pallets leaving the bright tank, handwritten markers on masking tape, collars falling off during transport, and condensation soaking labels before they even reach the cooler.
The moment NA kegs enter the wider distribution chain, identity becomes fragile. Paper becomes wet. Ink fades. Stickers peel. And once a keg’s label is gone, so is its identity.
The solution isn’t more stickers — it’s a labeling system that carries both physical clarity and a digital fingerprint that can’t be lost.
Everything an NA Keg Needs — and Nothing It Doesn’t
DraftVerify simplifies NA keg identity into a clean, two-part system:
NFC Keg Collar
The primary identity point. Always visible, always readable. It displays the key details visually — brewery, style, NA classification — and includes an integrated NFC chip that links directly to the keg’s DraftVerify record.
NFC Coupler Tag
The moment of truth happens at the valve. This tag gives staff a way to confirm the exact keg before connecting it, using a cryptographically unique NFC ID tied to the same DraftVerify record as the collar.
These two components replace the messy patchwork of stickers and handwriting with a single, unified identity system that stays with the keg no matter where it travels.
The Identity Badge Everyone Sees
The keg collar has always been the “front-of-house” identity of a keg. It’s what people look at in the cooler, on a pallet, or when grabbing the next keg to tap.
DraftVerify upgrades the collar into something far more powerful: an NFC-enabled identity badge. It communicates NA status visually while also holding a digital link to the keg’s product, batch, and traceability data.
Even if every other label disappears, the collar still tells the right story — and the NFC chip proves it.
Identity Confirmed at the Moment It Counts
The valve is where mistakes happen — the exact point where a keg becomes a tap. The Coupler Tag is designed to protect that moment. Its secure NFC ID ensures the keg being tapped is the keg the brewery intended.
One quick scan, and staff instantly see:
- the product
- the batch
- the NA classification
- the keg’s serialized ID
- and any associated DraftVerify details
The collar tells you what it is. The coupler tag proves it.
Identity Exactly Where People Expect It
Everyone who works with kegs already knows where to look for information. DraftVerify builds on those instincts and adds digital certainty.
NFC Keg Collar
Placed on top — always visible, even in a crowded walk-in cooler. It’s the first thing anyone sees during storage, transport, or quick checks.
NFC Coupler Tag
Secured near the keg valve, it’s perfectly positioned for a quick scan before connecting. That’s where accuracy matters most, and where verification happens naturally as part of the tapping process.
With these two placements, identity becomes both immediately visible and instantly verifiable.
A Quick Refresh Before the Next Fill
Returned kegs don’t need a complicated process — just a quick identity check. Brewers already replace collars on refilled kegs. Now they simply verify that the NFC collar and the NFC coupler tag match the correct DraftVerify record.
Most breweries follow a simple flow:
- Clean & inspect the keg
- Replace the NFC collar if it’s damaged
- Check the Coupler Tag’s NFC scan
- Update the DraftVerify Registry for the next batch
The keg leaves with the same unified identity it arrived with — refreshed and ready.
Clear Identity Builds Trust
NA drinkers expect accuracy. Breweries expect their product to be represented correctly. Operators expect clarity during service. A modern identity system makes all three possible.
With just two components — the NFC collar and the NFC coupler tag — DraftVerify creates a complete identity that can’t be mixed up, peeled off, or misread. It’s simple, durable, and built for how breweries and bars actually work.