Brand the Keg: Keg Collars vs Keg Wraps, and When a Brewery Needs Each

Updated September 2026 by Brad Lugar, owner of Steel City Tap Co., Birmingham, AL.

Quick answer: A keg collar is a 7 x 7 inch waterproof plastic tag that sits on top of the keg around the coupler and tells the distributor and the account what is inside. A keg wrap is a 35 x 3 inch vinyl band around the barrel that carries your brand. Collars are required for the keg to move through the trade; wraps are the marketing. Most breweries that distribute run both, because the keg is the only package the account sees before the beer is on the wall.

We print keg collars and keg wraps in Birmingham, AL. The "secret" in the old title of this post was just this: breweries spend on cans and labels and forget that the keg is a package too, and it is the one the buyer handles.

Keg collars: identification

The collar is the tag on top. It carries the brewery name, beer name and style, ABV, keg size, a fill date field, and whatever deposit or government text your state and distributor require. It is how the driver picks the right keg in a cold room at 5 a.m. and how the account confirms what they got.

Ours are 7 x 7 inches on .020 inch waterproof plastic, thru-cut, printed full color (4CP) or in one or two PMS spot colors, and run in 2 to 3 weeks from art approval. Paper collars fail in the cold room. Full checklist in our keg collar guide. Order keg collars.

Keg wraps: branding

The wrap is the band around the barrel. It does nothing for the driver and everything for the account: when the keg rolls into a beer garden or sits behind a bar with an open cooler, the wrap is a billboard. Ours are 35 x 3 inches on over-laminated white vinyl with a permanent adhesive, full color, 100 wrap minimum. Order keg wraps.

Which one do you need?

• Self distributing to a few accounts: collars. Nobody sees the barrel.
• Working with a distributor: collars, and wraps on the kegs going to visible accounts and events.
• Festivals and beer gardens: wraps. The keg is on display.
• Taproom only, kegs never leave: collars for inventory, no wraps.

How many to order

Collars: count the keg float and add the kegs you will fill before the next order. Wraps: count the kegs that go somewhere visible, not the whole float. Both are cheap per unit and expensive as a rush order.

The rest of the keg branding kit

The keg gets the beer to the account. The tap handle is what sells it once it is there, and the tin tacker on the wall is what keeps the account thinking about you between orders. Send one art file and we match all three.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a keg collar and a keg wrap?

A collar is the 7 inch tag on top of the keg that identifies the beer for the distributor and account. A wrap is the 35 x 3 inch vinyl band around the barrel that carries your branding.

Do breweries need keg collars?

Yes if kegs leave the building. The collar carries the beer name, ABV, keg size, fill date, and any deposit or government text the trade requires. Distributors will not move an unlabeled keg.

What size is a keg wrap?

Steel City Tap keg wraps are 35 x 3 inches, sized to wrap a standard US keg, on over-laminated vinyl with permanent adhesive. Minimum order is 100.

How long do custom keg collars take?

2 to 3 weeks from art approval, in full color or one and two color PMS spot print.

Are keg collars waterproof?

Ours are printed on .020 inch plastic tag stock so they survive the cold room, condensation, and handling. Paper collars do not.