Keg Collar Checklist: Size, Material, Print, and What Goes On It
Updated September 2026 by Brad Lugar, owner of Steel City Tap Co., Birmingham, AL.
Quick answer: A brewery keg collar is a 7 inch waterproof tag that rides on the keg chime and tells the distributor, the account, and the inspector what is inside. Get the size right (7 x 7 inches fits standard US kegs), print it on plastic tag stock, put the required info on it, and order it in a quantity that matches your keg float. Everything else is design.
We print keg collars for breweries in Birmingham, AL. The questions below are the ones brewery marketers actually ask us before they order, in the order they usually ask them.
What is a keg collar and what does it do?
A keg collar is the tag that sits on top of the keg around the coupler. It does three jobs at once. It identifies the beer for the distributor picking the order in a cold room at 5 a.m. It carries the information regulators and your wholesaler expect to see. And it is the only branding on the keg the account sees when they tap it, which is why the good ones look like a label and not a shipping tag.
Collars are not the same as keg wraps. A keg wrap is a 35 x 3 inch vinyl band around the barrel for branding. A collar is the tag on top. Most breweries run both.
What size is a standard keg collar?
7 x 7 inches. That is the size we print, and it fits the chime opening on standard half barrels, sixtels, and quarter barrels. The hole in the center goes over the coupler. If a vendor quotes you something other than 7 inches, ask what keg it fits before you approve art.
What material should a keg collar be?
Waterproof plastic. Our standard is .020 inch plastic tag stock, individually thru-cut. Paper collars go soft in the cold room, tear on the forklift, and smear when condensation hits them. Once a collar is unreadable the distributor cannot verify what they are delivering, and that is a returned keg.
What information belongs on a keg collar?
Put the mandatory items where they read at a glance, then use the rest of the space for brand. A workable list:
- Brewery name and location
- Beer name and style
- ABV
- Keg size (1/2, 1/4, 1/6 barrel)
- Government warning text where required
- Fill date or batch field (blank box you write in, or a place for a sticker)
- Deposit and return language if your distributor requires it
Label requirements vary by state and by whether the beer crosses state lines. Check with your compliance person or the TTB before you lock the art. We print what you send; we do not review it for compliance.
Full color or spot color?
Two ways to print a collar, and the choice is about your artwork, not your budget.
- Full color (4CP): photos, gradients, complex label art. Pick this if your can label is full color and you want the collar to match it.
- One or two color PMS screen print: flat logo, exact brand color, every collar identical. Pick this if your brand runs on one or two spot colors and you care about the match.
Both are printed on the same waterproof stock and both run in 2 to 3 weeks from art approval on our floor.
How many keg collars should you order?
Count your keg float, then add the kegs you expect to fill before the next order. Collars are cheap per unit and expensive per rush. The breweries that run out are the ones that ordered for one brew day instead of one quarter. Quantity price breaks are on the keg collar product pages.
The checklist
- Size confirmed at 7 x 7 inches with a center hole for the coupler
- Waterproof plastic stock, not paper
- Required information present and legible at arm's length
- Print method chosen to match the can label (4CP) or the brand color (PMS)
- Fill date field included
- Quantity sized to the keg float, not the batch
- Art sent as a clean file; a phone snapshot of the can label is enough to start a mockup
Where breweries waste money on collars
Three places. Paper stock that has to be reprinted after one season. A different collar per SKU when a one color base collar with a beer-name sticker would do the same job. And rush orders because nobody counted the keg float. Fix those three and collars become a line item you stop thinking about.
Ready to order? Start at our custom keg collars collection, pair them with keg wraps for the barrel, and if you want the same art on a custom tap handle, that is the shop next door.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a keg collar?
7 x 7 inches with a center hole for the coupler. That fits standard US half barrels, quarter barrels, and sixtels.
Are keg collars waterproof?
Ours are. They are printed on .020 inch plastic tag stock so they survive the cold room, condensation, and the forklift. Paper collars do not.
What has to be printed on a keg collar?
At minimum the brewery name, beer name and style, ABV, keg size, and any government warning or deposit language your state or distributor requires. Confirm the exact requirements with the TTB or your compliance contact.
How long do custom keg collars take?
2 to 3 weeks from art approval for both full color and spot color collars, printed in Birmingham, AL.
Can I get keg collars that match my can label?
Yes. Send the can label art, or even a phone photo of the can, and we build a mockup that matches it in full color.