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Meet The Keurig Of Beer

by Alicia Lu

If they can do it for coffee, they should've done it for beer a long time ago. A company called SYNEK has crowdsourced and created a machine that dispenses your favorite draft beer from the SYNEK Draft System in the comfort of your own home. Gone are the days of popping open bottles and cans. You can now drink your beer the preferred way — sipping the foam off the top of a nice chilled mug — at your own kitchen counter. And its success is based on one simple solution.

Steve Young, the company's 28-year-old founder, realized that by shipping beer in SYNEK bags and cutting out the bottling process, it would cut costs for both the customer and the brewery. "Think about it — the problem's really in the packaging," Young says in the promotional video for SYNEK. "Cans and bottles are too expensive for most brewers to fill, limiting your selection. And growlers will give you access, but they have the shelf life about as long as a toddler's attention span."

With its beer delivery system, SYNEK is reinventing the way beer is packaged and distributed. The system hasn't gone into mass production yet, but seems to be a hit already, with dozens of breweries already signed on (brands like Harpoon, Double Horn, and Shmaltz). But perhaps the most telling sign that the SYNEK will be a success is that it's well on its way to meeting — and perhaps surpassing — its Kickstarter goal of $250,000. After only 10 days, the project has gained 706 backers and a total of $194,000 pledged, with 20 days to go still. I guess it's really hard to argue with drinking draft beer in your bathrobe.

The SYNEK is slated to launch sometime in 2015, and here are eight reasons to get it when it does...

It Gives You Bar-Quality Beer

The SYNEK's cartridge technology is "designed to lock in quality," keeping the beer fresh, carbonated, and authentic tasting for up to 30 days.

Sometimes You Don't Want to Leave Your House

What's better than serving pints to your friends in your own backyard? Bring the party to you, we say.

It's Portable, in Case You Do Want to Leave Your House

Going over to a friend's? Planning a long weekend at the cabin? The SYNEK will work anywhere that has an outlet, so you can bring the party with you.

It's Good For the Environment

Cutting out bottles and cans means less glass, cardboard, and aluminum waste. Who wouldn't want to drink beer while saving the planet?

Never-Ending Variety

Because the SYNEK is so easy to use, anyone from home brewers to large craft brewers can fill up the bags, so you never run out of options.

It's Summer and You Need to Quit It With the Boxed Wine

Let's face it: boxed wine may be great for large gatherings, but nobody will be happy at your BBQ.

And You're Way Too Old For a Keg

Unless you're throwing a college-style rager this summer, a keg would be highly inefficient and costly.

Easy Clean-Up

With the SYNEK, you'll never have to pick up bottles and cans, which your boyfriend and his friends seem to really love leaving around, ever again.

Images: Synek